Nearly 10,000 Stores Could Close This Year As Retail ‘Bubble’ Bursts
THOMASDISHAW.COM Apr 22, 2017
As I predicted months ago we are witnessing a monumental downturn in the retail sector. According to this Daily Caller report nearly 10,000 may close this year.
Brick-and-mortar shops and retail chains are closing at a record rate, and there’s no sign the decline will stop, The Wall Street Journal reports.
In the first four months of 2017, retailers have announced a total of 2,880 store closures, and some financial services firm Credit Suisse predicts that around 8,600 stores will close this year. That’s more than closed during the financial crisis in 2008, and twice the number that closed in 2016.
Several smaller stores will shutter all or most of their mall and free standing stores this year. Clothing chain Rue21 announced April 17 that it will close 400 of its 1,100 stores nationwide. Bebe, which sells “unique, sophisticated and timelessly sexy” women’s clothing, will close all of its 168 physical stores nationwide by the end of May, the company announced Friday.
Smaller retail chains are closing the most physical locations, but retail giants are also scaling back. JC Penney will close 128 of its 1,000 locations, Sears plans to close 41 of 695 stores, and Kmart plans to shutter 109 of 735 stores, WSJ reports.
News 
Market Data 
Discover 
