Podcast
Welcome to The Backroom, a window into what goes on behind the scenes as the Retail Dive team covers the stories and trends reshaping retail. You can check out all our podcast episodes (past and present) here and listen on Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio and Spotify.
It looks like 2025 will be yet another year with many more stores closing than opening. In a report released last week, Coresight Research analysts said they expect about 15,000 U.S. stores to close, compared to just 5,800 openings.
As of Jan. 17, the number of slated closures is already over 330% more than the same period last year. Closures topped openings in 2024, too, with a net loss of 1,355 as of Jan. 10. Could this be another “retail apocalypse?”
When that term was bandied about — a few years before the pandemic — several retailers were struggling to the point of bankruptcy and closed many more stores. In 2019, for example, more than 9,000 stores shut down.
In this episode of The Backroom, Senior Editor Kaarin Moore and Senior Reporter Daphne Howland talk about store closures, what they say about retail and what’s important for the stores that remain.
Resource links:
- US store closures to again outpace openings this year
- These 5 retailers closed stores in 2024
- Small-format, off-price stores added to first round of Macy’s closures
- How can stores compete with speedy delivery? By slowing down.
- How retailers are making it harder to shop
Editor’s note: This episode was produced and edited by Caroline Jansen.
