Apocalypse for retail: 3,500 stores closing in 2017

Apocalypse for retail: 3,500 stores closing in ’17

About 70 stores in Ohio set to shutter


By KARA DRISCOLL | DAYTON DAILY NEWS

Published on April 4, 2017
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More than 3,500 stores could be closed within the year, in what some are coining the “retail apocalypse.”

http://www.toledoblade.com/image/201...e-Closings.jpg
All locations — 250 in total — of The Limited closed by mid-January.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Major retailers across the country have taken a hit as consumers shift their spending habits online in the age of e-commerce. In Ohio, at least 70 retail brick-and-mortar stores are set for closure, forcing thousands to look for new jobs.

Some closures started as early as late December, but most closures were announced in January after the holiday shopping season.

Then, a barrage of other store closures followed in the coming months.

Some closures include:
All locations — 250 in total — of The Limited closed by mid-January in Ohio and across the United States. The closures affected up to 4,000 jobs nationwide. The brand, which had at least nine locations in Ohio, also shut down its retail website.

Family Christian, a Christian gift and bookstore chain, said it would close all 240 of its stores nationwide. The chain has 12 locations in Ohio.

RadioShack announced it was filing bankruptcy again, after filing in 2015. This time, the electronics retailer said it would close 552 stores, including more than 30 in Ohio.

J.C. Penney will close four stores in Ohio, including one in Findlay. The struggling retailer, which will operate 900 stores, cut its brick-and-mortar sites by 138, affecting 5,000 workers nationwide, including hundreds in Ohio.

Macy’s will close three stores in Ohio.

Kmart will close six in the state; Sears will close four.

Other retailers such as Bebe, Crocs, GameStop, American Apparel, Guess, and Gander Mountain also will close stores nationwide.

More locations could likely close in Ohio, but some retailers have not announced what locations will be affected by downsizing.

Gordon Gough, president and CEO of the Ohio Council for Retail Merchants, said some consumers are choosing to make transactions online. That affects the store footprint for various retailers and companies.

“When you’re talking about sales that go to online-only retailers that don’t have presence here, that’s a shift in consumer demand,” Mr. Gough said. “Will it have an impact on the local economies? Sure.”

In February, retail industry employment fell by 31,300 jobs from the previous month. However, February retail sales grew slightly, by just 0.2 percent compared to January, but that was not reflected in many store sales.

Clothing, general merchandise, electronics, furniture, and sporting goods all lost sales compared to January. Some saw slight increases compared to the past year, according to the National Retail Federation.

http://www.toledoblade.com/Retail/20...ing-in-17.html

Discount retailer Family Dollar closing 323 locations nationwide

"The retail industry shed 30,000 jobs as department stores and other physical retail outlets across the country shut their doors because of tougher competition from online platforms."

U.S. hiring slumped in March as employers added only 98,000 jobs

HHGregg to close all 220 stores by the end of May

POSTED 4:52 PM, APRIL 8, 2017, BY BEN BRICE

http://localtvwhnt.files.wordpress.c...0&h=225&crop=1

MIAMI, FL - MARCH 02: A hhgregg electronic and appliance retailer store is seen on March 2, 2017 in Miami, Florida. The company announced plans to close forty percent of their stores, eliminating 1500 jobs, as it goes through a restructuring process. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)


HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – HHGregg has announced it will close all 220 of its stores by the end of May.

The appliance and electronic retailer failed to find a buyer, according to our news partner AL.com. In March, the company announced 88 closures as a part of a restructuring and hoped to reach a sale agreement with a company. The closures will result in 5,000 layoffs across the U.S., including six in Alabama.

Going-out-of-business sales will begin this weekend at all HHGregg stores. The mcompany has an agreement with Tiger Capital Group and Great American Group to sell its remaining merchandise, furniture, and equipment.

http://whnt.com/2017/04/08/hhgregg-t...he-end-of-may/

Mall stores Closing

Abercrombie & Fitch – 60 stores

You can add Abercrombie & Fitch to the growing list of retailers that will be closing stores this year.
According to a news release, the company plans to shut down about 60 U.S. locations during fiscal 2017 as leases expire. Fortune reports that A&F will have 670 remaining stores, down from 839 just five years ago.

Guess – 60 stores

Guess is planning to pull the plug on 60 of its stores this year.
CEO Victor Herrero told analysts of the decision during a Q4 earnings call on March 15. It’s expected that most of the closures will be among the flagship Guess brand stores and Marciano locations.
Guess brands operate 945 retail stores in the Americas, Europe and Asia. Some 400 of those stores are in the United States.

Crocs – 160 stores

Crocs announced in a March 1 press release that the brand will be trimming some 160 stores from its 558-store portfolio by the end of 2018.

The Limited – 250 stores

After more than 50 years in business, The Limited closed all of its nearly 250 stores across the country on January 8. The retailer indicated that its website would live on, but no merchandise is for sale.
Read more: Confirmed: The Limited is closing mall stores across the country

Wet Seal – 171 stores

Bankrupt clothing store Wet Seal has shut down all of its 171 stores, according to the Wall Street Journal. A message on the retailer’s website read, ‘Thanks babe, it’s been real.’

American Apparel – 110 stores

Made in the USA clothing manufacturer American Apparel is expected to close all of its remaining 110 stores very soon.
According to a news release from January 10, Canada-based Gildan Activewear’s $88 million bid at a bankruptcy auction won the rights to American Apparel’s brand and some assets.
However, retail store assets were not part of the purchase, according to Gildan.
Read more: American Apparel is expected to close all 110 stores soon

BCBG – 120 stores

High-end women’s clothing chain BCBG is closing about 120 stores, mostly in the U.S., according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
The Star Tribune reported in early February that liquidation sales have started and are expected to run eight to 10 weeks before the stores close for good.
The company’s mini-shops within Macy’s will remain open.

http://clark.com/shopping-retail/maj...-closing-2017/

American Retail Stores Closing At Faster Pace Than During 2008 Recession

Clothing brand Rue21 closing 400 locations across US

The Warrendale, Pennsylvania-based company has been struggling to pay its bills, according to sources earlier this month


https://hips.htvapps.com/htv-prod-me...anding/vuz.png | Updated: 1:11 PM CDT Apr 16, 2017

Abigail Elise
National Curator

WARRENDALE, Penn. —Clothing chain rue21 is shuttering nearly 400 stores across the country. The Warrendale, Pennsylvania-based company has been struggling to pay its bills, according to Debtwire earlier this month.

"It’s true – we are closing some stores," the brand posted on Facebook Saturday. "It was a difficult but necessary decision. We still have hundreds of locations across the country, and our website rue21.com, open for business."

In 2002, rue21 filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection under its former name, Pennsylvania Fashions, Inc. At the time, annual sales were estimated to be between $180 to $200 million. There are nearly 1,200 rue21 stores in 48 US states.

The brand currently doesn't have a list of all of its store closures, but you can find its locations here and check if a specific store is shutting down.

2017 hasn't been a great year for retailers. Eighty percent of Americans are now shopping online, leaving brick-and-mortar stores struggling to keep up.

Last year, online retailer Amazon reported $136 billion in revenue, making it the eighth-largest US retailer based on annual sales.

JC Penney last month released a list of the 138 stores it planned to shutter as part of a campaign to reduce corporate costs and boost sales at a smaller number of locations. The closings have been delayed after a surge in sales.

Macy's and Sears also announced major closures this year, and RadioShack filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in early March, announcing plans to eliminate more than 500 stores across the nation. In 2015, the electronics retailer shuttered about 2,000 locations.

http://www.wvtm13.com/article/clothi...oss-us/9371466

While it will have an effect, I'm hoping what it is reflecting is that people are not wasting money as they have in the past.

Our economy for the last 40 years, anyway, has been built on excessive buying.

My fervent hope is that is changing and we are going to get back on a better footing.

Trump's new problem: Americans aren't shopping

2 HRS AGO

Subway's closing of 359 stores marks historic pullback for nation's most ubiquitous eatery

Written by

https://dallasnews.imgix.net/1467908...es&facepad=1.7Wire Services

Subway Restaurants closed hundreds of domestic locations last year, marking the biggest retrenchment in the history of a chain that spent decades saturating America with restaurants.

The company lost 359 U.S. locations in 2016, the first time Subway had a net reduction. The store count dropped 1.3 percent to 26,744 from 27,103 in 2015, but Subway remains the nation's most ubiquitous eatery. (McDonald's Corp. is No. 1 by sales.)

The closely held company is coping with a sales slowdown in the U.S., made worse by the emergence of newer fast-casual rivals and the industry's heavy reliance on discounts and promotions. Subway also has lost some of its luster as a healthier-food option. It's been working to restore its status by eliminating antibiotics from its chicken and switching to cage-free eggs.

In another bid to revive growth, Subway is adding delivery services — a strategy that's also been embraced by McDonald's. And it even unveiled a new, more contemporary logo. But so far, the changes haven't helped much: Sales fell 1.7 percent last year to about $11.3 billion.

Industrywide, same-store sales continued to slide in the U.S. during March. They dropped 0.6 percent in the fourth straight month of decreases, according to MillerPulse data.

Subway is still growing internationally, though. Last year, sales outside the U.S. rose 3.7 percent to $5.8 billion as it continued to open locations.

"Sales for 2016 reflect our focus on international growth," the Milford, Conn.,-based company said in a statement. "We are undertaking an exciting transformation that includes introducing new and improved products, creating an even greater customer experience, refining operations, and positioning Subway franchisees for continued success."

The sandwich chain also has been overhauling its management team. On Wednesday, the company said it's bringing on former McDonald's executive Karlin Linhardt to lead marketing for the more than 30,000 Subway stores in the U.S. and Canada.

Last year, Subway hired Katie Coleman to handle global public relations. She was tasked in part with helping the chain recover from a scandal involving former spokesman Jared Fogle. He pleaded guilty to child pornography charges and was sentenced to prison in 2015.

Subway, owned by Doctor's Associates Inc., was founded about 52 years ago by Fred DeLuca and Peter Buck. DeLuca died in 2015, leaving the company in the hands of his younger sister, Suzanne Greco, who became chief executive officer. The chain's restaurants are entirely owned by franchisees.

https://www.dallasnews.com/business/...quitous-eatery

Bebe is closing all its stores, the latest casualty in retail

Posted: Apr 21, 2017 7:32 AM PDT Updated: Apr 21, 2017 7:32 AM PDT
By Aaron Smith

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Bebe is closing all its stores, the latest brick-and-mortar retailer to get dumped by customers who would rather shop with their phones than their feet.

Bebe Stores, which models itself as a purveyor of "unique, sophisticated and timelessly sexy" clothing for women, said it plans to close the stores by the end of May, according to a regulatory filing on Friday.

Bebe did not immediately return messages from CNNMoney asking whether it plans to go out of business or transition to online-only.

The company had hinted that something like this could happen. Bebe said in an SEC filing last month that it was "exploring strategic alternatives." Earlier this month, the company said it planned to close 28 stores and was trying to figure out what to do with the rest of them.

Before that announcement, Bebe had 168 stores in the United States and Canada.

Bebe has plenty of company in the struggling brick-and-mortar retail industry. Macy's, JCPenney and Sears once ruled the shopping malls, but now they're closing hundreds of stores and cutting thousands of jobs.

Luxury retailer Neiman Marcus said earlier this month that it might sell itself, after ditching its plans for an IPO in January amid sorry sales.

So who's the winner? Amazon, the behemoth of online retail, is seizing market share from more traditional retailers, though bargain-hunters are keeping T.J. Maxx and Dollar General in business.

http://www.nbc-2.com/story/35209423/...alty-in-retail

Sears to close 50 auto centers, 92 Kmart pharmacies to cut costs

Ally Marotti Contact Reporter Chicago Tribune

Sears Holdings plans to close scores of Sears Auto Center locations and underperforming Kmart pharmacies as part of its effort to cut costs by $1.25 billion this year.

The Hoffman Estates-based retailer already has closed 150 stores nationally — including two in downstate Illinois — in cost-cutting efforts, but more needs to be done in this "very challenging retail environment," Chairman and CEO Edward Lampert said Friday in a news release.

"We need to take further action," he said.
The closures and other steps the company already has taken add up to $700 million in annual savings. Closing 50 Sears Auto Center locations and 92 pharmacy operations in certain Kmart stores will help the company reach its $1.25 billion cost-cutting goal, which it increased from a previous target of $1 billion.

http://tu9srvbirvvtmtqkd3d3lnryymltz...3D_$/$/$/$/$/$
Sears, once a stalwart, has 'substantial doubt' about future

The embattled retailer did not give a timeline for the store closures. Company spokesman Chris Brathwaite said he did not have a list of which locations are scheduled to close.

The company also plans to eliminate senior management roles at Sears and Kmart, though it has not said how many.

Some employees were notified Friday that they would be losing their jobs, Brathwaite said. The rest will be told in the coming weeks.

"We obviously don't take these decisions lightly," he said. "But in order to be a more competitive retailer and return the company to profitability, we need to look for ways to streamline the operations."

In February, the company hinted that the auto centers business could find itself on the chopping block. Sears previously signed a $900 million deal to sell its Craftsman brand to Stanley Black & Decker.

The company at the time said it would continue to look for options for two other popular brands, Kenmore and DieHard, and its Sears Home Services and Sears Auto Center businesses.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/busine...421-story.html

Since 2006, no new malls have been constructed.

Half of all national malls will be closed within the next decade.

SHOPPING

APRIL 22, 2017

WHY ARE AMERICA’S MALLS DYING?

JACOB PINKNEY

Reports indicate that malls across America are closing at an alarming rate, and several of the stores we’ve all come to know and love may soon be available solely via a computer’s address bar. Macy’s, for instance, a global retail powerhouse with upwards of $27 billion in sales annually, will close the doors of hundreds of its stores in the next few years. It’s not the only anchor store that’s cutting its losses, however. Sources claim JCPenney and Sears will also be boarding up several of their locations due, simply, to lack of sales.

In fact, according to a report by Business Insider, almost 25 percent of America’s nearly 1,300 shopping malls are at risk of losing a large department store. The closing of these anchor stores spells trouble for most malls, as records show that when they leave a region, it is uncannily difficult to find a suitable replacement store.

With many of these giant retail locations covering more than 100,000 square feet, it’s not hard to see why, and when no replacement is found, the mall’s finances take a huge hit.

Howard Davidowitz, chairman of a large retail consulting firm in New York City, claims that these store closures and the sharp drop in mall sales that often follows could also be devastating for communities.

“The communities wither away, and they never come back.”

http://cdn.inquisitr.com/wp-content/...ng-670x470.pngMacy’s will be closing several stores in the coming years. [Image by Stew Milne/AP Images]

With many American malls providing thousands of jobs for citizens in host cities, decreased sales and reduced customer traffic means more layoffs, and eventually, a less-than-healthy economy. Additionally, reports seem to indicate that large-scale mall closures lead to an increase in crime.

In Akron, Ohio, for instance, records show a homeless man was imprisoned after he was discovered living inside of a vacant store, a man was burned beyond recognition after unsuccessfully trying to swipe copper wire, and the body of a murder victim was found behind one of the mall’s boarded-up stores.

According to experts, the reason behind the death of America’s mall scene has everything to do with accessibility.

In a nutshell, consumers are far more at ease shopping from behind a computer than anywhere else. Author Robin Lewis, a man with over 40 years of experience in retail operations consulting, describes the new conundrum of remote shopping rather succinctly.

“All of a sudden, the consumer now has every single retail store throughout the world a key tap away.”

Records show that, since 2006, no new malls have been constructed. Lewis even predicts that about half of all national malls will be closed within the next decade.

According to analysts, Amazon, one of the world’s largest online shopping platforms, is allegedly one of the biggest contributors to the decline of the American mall.

Reports indicate that almost every time malls seem to experience a large-scale significant financial loss, the company founded by mega-billionaire Jeff Bezos experiences substantial gains.

With the addition of user-friendly services like Prime and Alexa, the e-commerce behemoth doesn’t appear to have any intentions of slowing down.

http://cdn.inquisitr.com/wp-content/...ce-670x435.pngThe relative ease of online shopping with companies like Amazon has hurt many malls financially. [Image by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images]

Sources indicate that American malls haven’t completely given up hope for a comeback, however. According to Mark Slusher, senior vice president of Thalhimer Realty Partners, upper resource management is working on a plan to “create a new experience” that will attract people to the more personable atmosphere physical shopping offers. Included in that plan, according to Slusher, will be new attractions like theaters, trampoline parks, laser tag, and high-end restaurants. He indicates that, in theory, the more a consumer can experience in real life, the less inclined they will be to shop from the internet.

Records do seem to support this assertion, as a recent report claims that the few malls that are surviving in the new e-commerce-dominated market all seem to offer an experience that focuses on engaging the customer first and foremost.

As malls across America look to return to the “golden age” of shopping, they’ll hope to implement strategies to compete with an ever growing online retail market.

http://www.inquisitr.com/4165930/why...s-malls-dying/

APRIL 26, 2017 BY DANIEL MAURER

Cue the Semisonic. American Apparel has closed its Manhattan stores.

“It’s the end of an era,” said the friend of a staffer lingering at the Soho store. Along with others, the store at 429 Broadway closed for good this afternoon after running out of deeply discounted merch.

An employee of five years, who asked that we identify her only as Nasty, said she had been keeping a list of things customers said during the store’s final days. “We made a tally every time people said, ‘Oh my god, I’m so sorry for your loss!’ and ‘What are you going to do now?'”

http://bedfordandbowery.com/wp-conte...4/image4-1.jpg

The shuttered Soho store.

The chain’s Greenwich Village store, at 704 Broadway, also locked up around 3pm today. Calls to other Manhattan locations went unanswered. A call to the Park Slope location, however, revealed that it was still up and running, but would close for good by 8pm today.

(Leave it to Park Slope not to take the hipster bait.) An employee there said they still had men’s and women’s t-shirts, long-sleeves, skirts, and size-small jeans. Everything is 90 percent off, and not a thing in the store is more than $8, she said.

Discounts were at 80 percent last week when I stopped into the Penn Station-area store, now shuttered. Even the shelving, furniture and hangers were for sale.

http://bedfordandbowery.com/wp-conte...4/image1-4.jpg

Nasty described the closure of the Soho store as “bittersweet.” She told us American American was a “fun place to work” and “definitely the best retail job to get.”

The nationwide closures came after Canadian company Gildan Activewear bought the notorious brand’s assets out of bankruptcy for $88 million and opted to shutter all stores.

According to the New York Post, American Apparel-branded clothes are now being made in Central America, though Gildan has said it will explore the possibility of doing some manufacturing in the United States.

Either way, the brand will no longer be based in Los Angeles, where over 2,000 workers were laid off. Adding insult to injury, there’s a possibility American Apparel will now be sold in stores like– gasp– Kmart.

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/us-...ing-2017-04-25

Central Grocers files for bankruptcy, will lay off 550 at Joliet warehouse

Greg Trotter and Ally Marotti Contact ReportersChicago Tribune

After almost 100 years of doing business, Joliet-based Central Grocers filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy Thursday and will lay off about 550 employees at the company's Joliet warehouse.

Central Grocers is a grocery cooperative that has long operated as wholesaler for more than 400 independent grocery stores in the Chicago area — including chains like Treasure Island, Pete's Fresh Market, Angelo Caputo's Fresh Market and Sunset Foods — distributing private-label Centrella products as well as produce, meat and dairy. It's also the parent company of Strack & Van Til and Ultra Foods stores in Illinois and Indiana, which are included in the bankruptcy filing. The layoffs are expected to occur between June 26 and July 10 as the cooperative's business gradually shuts down, according to a mass layoff notice sent to employees Wednesday.

Last month, Central Grocers announced plans to sell 22 Strack & Van Til stores while closing nine "underperforming" Ultra stores. About 750 workers at seven of those Ultra stores in the Cook County suburbs will be laid off by June 17, according the state's April 30 report on layoff notices.

On Thursday, the company said it expects to enter into a sales agreement for 19 of the Strack & Van Til stores soon with a "stalking horse bidder" and intends to auction the nearly 1 million-square-foot Joliet warehouse and headquarters as well as other assets.

In addition to the many people who will lose their jobs, grocery retailers that have long depended on Central Grocers will also feel the impact of the bankruptcy. While some have already switched to other distributors, many are still owed large chunks of money.

Take for example, Sami Deffala, owner of Morgan Mini Mart, a corner store in Chicago's Englewood neighborhood, who said he's still owed a $10,000 deposit — a substantial sum for a small store operator. Recently, Central Grocers cut him a check for the deposit but the payment isn't going through, Deffala said.

"I could use that money to improve my store. ... It's going to have an impact. Not catastrophic to where I'll have to close my store, but it's going to have an impact," Deffala said.
Many larger retailers, some of which have stock in Central Grocers, are owed much more money.

Mike Bousis and his father Dimitrious Bousis own and operate a combined 15 Cermak Fresh Market stores. Cermak was only a partial member of the Central Grocers cooperative, which supplied Cermak with center-store packaged goods, Bousis said. The chain recently switched fully over to Supervalu, a Minnesota-based grocery distributor.

Central Grocers still owes deposits on six Cermak stores, varying between $10,000 and $30,000 per store, Bousis said. But he doesn't expect to see that money again unless the retailers band together in a class-action lawsuit.

"You put a deposit down to get stuff supplied and they're worried about you paying them. And now you're not getting your money back. It's disheartening," Bousis said.

http://tu9srvbirvvtmtqkd3d3lnryymltz...3D_$/$/$/$/$/$Sami Deffala takes a break Aug. 16, 2016, outside of his Morgan Mini Mart in Chicago's Englewood neighborhood. Deffala said in May 2017 that Central Grocers, which has filed for bankruptcy, owes him a $10,000 deposit. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)


Central Grocers CEO Ken Nemeth didn't respond to a Tribune request for an interview. Instead, Central Grocers passed along the request to Joele Frank, a New York public relations agency, where employees would not answer questions on the record. In the company news release Thursday, Nemeth referred generally to the "increasingly difficult environment" for independent stores.

"We are using this court-supervised sale process to provide us the time and flexibility to conduct an orderly sale of the Strack & Van Til stores, while we work to sell the warehouse in Joliet and wind down our wholesale distribution operations," Nemeth said in the news release.

Central Grocers' Chapter 11 filing comes after a group of suppliers, including Coca-Cola, General Mills and Mars Financial Services, filed a petition Tuesday to force the grocery cooperative into involuntary Chapter 7 bankruptcy.

The company's bankruptcy filings listed its total assets at about $262 million and its total liabilities at about $232 million. Central Grocers is seeking debtor in possession financing.

Highland Park-based Sunset Foods also recently enlisted a new distributor for grocery items — such as crackers, soups and cereals — that its five stores had been stocking from Central Grocers, said Thaddeus Tazioli, vice president of marketing for Sunset.

"Obviously there were issues with the organization and so a decision had to be made about what to do next," he said. "It's really exciting, from our perspective, the opportunities that are going to open up."

Sunset is now working with Supervalu, which will supply Sunset with brands the stores were not receiving from Central Grocers, Tazioli said.

Angelo Caputo's Fresh Market heard trouble was brewing with Central Grocers and started the search for new wholesalers, said Robertino Presta, CEO of the eight-store suburban chain.

"It's been in the works for a couple of months," he said. "There'd been talk, so we just started looking elsewhere."

His company used Central Grocers for "staples" like yogurts and cereals, but the chain wasn't totally dependent on the cooperative. Angelo Caputo's imports much of its food from Europe, and does in-house baking and cooking with ingredients that didn't come from Central Grocers, Presta said, so the bankruptcy is not affecting it much.

Still, Presta said the prospect of getting back the stocks or deposit it paid to the cooperative didn't look good.

"We'll see what happens," he said.

Representatives of locals 703 and 710 of the Teamsters, the union representing the bulk of the Joliet Central Grocers employees facing layoffs, couldn't be reached for comment.

http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/pol...e-11122193.php

Gander Mountain announces closing 126 stores nationwide

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Posted: May 06, 2017 3:34 PM PDT Updated: May 06, 2017 3:34 PM PDT By Staff report

http://wpsd.images.worldnow.com/images/13810185_G.jpg

According to Gander Mountain's website, the company is closing 126 stores nationwide.

Local 6 has reached out to Gander Mountain in regards to the Paducah location, but has not heard back.

On Twitter, CEO of Camping World which acquired Gander Mountain, Marcus Lemonis has announced that some stores will stay open.

The manager of the Paducah, KY location would not comment on any closing, but noted customers need to use their gift cards by May 18th.

http://www.wpsdlocal6.com/story/3536...res-nationwide

107 BestBank/Guaranty Bank Locations Close Nationwide; Company Fails

60,000 Retail Jobs Lost in Two Months

Ford planning to lay off 20,000 workers in North America, Asia

The Children's Place is closing 300 stores by 2020

https://s.thestreet.com/files/tsc/v2...98fcce524b.png Tracy Byrnes
Follow Jun 8, 2017 4:23 PM EDT

(VIDEO at link.)

The Children's Place (PLCE) CEO Jane Elfers is one of the few retail leaders getting it right these days. With Sears (SHLD) shuttering hundreds of stores and talk of Nordstroms (JWN) going private, PLCE is doing it rockin'. Now Elfers tells Tracy Byrnes how she is methodically closing more stores and moving her product to digital.

https://www.thestreet.com/video/1417...s-by-2020.html

For more retail stores, check out these:

Gymboree Might Be Growing Into Bankruptcy, but Not These Two Rivals in the Mall

Has Children's Place Figured Out How to Beat Amazon?

We Are Watching the Endless, Tortuous Liquidation of Sears, Says This Former Top Exec at Retailer

Starbucks closing all 379 Teavana stores this year

http://www.ocregister.com/wp-content...e-13.jpg?w=532
Starbucks at MainPlace Mall. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

By ASSOCIATED PRESS |
PUBLISHED: July 28, 2017 at 6:47 am | UPDATED: July 28, 2017 at 8:07 am


Starbucks is shutting down its struggling Teavana chain, and relying on customers who spend more on pricier drinks and food to drive up sales at its namesake coffee stores.

The company reported disappointing global sales growth on Thursday, and said it will close all 379 Teavana locations over the coming year. It had acquired the U.S. mall-based chain in 2012, with then-CEO Howard Schultz citing the huge potential for the tea market. But in April, the company said it was reviewing options for the chain.

Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson on Thursday noted declining foot traffic at malls.

In Orange County, Teavana has locations at the Brea Mall and South Coast Plaza.

The announcement came as Starbucks said global sales at its flagship chain rose 4 percent at established locations for the quarter ended July 2, fueled by higher average spending per visit. In the U.S., sales rose 5 percent at established locations, also driven mostly by higher spending versus an increase in customer visits.

Competition has intensified in the U.S. restaurant industry, making it challenging for chains to get customers to visit their stores more often. Dunkin’ Donuts said earlier in the day that customer traffic fell again at its established U.S. locations.

McDonald’s, meanwhile, has been promoting $1 sodas and $2 McCafe smoothies, frappes and shakes, a strategy the burger chain says helped bring in customers during the second quarter.

Johnson dismissed the idea that such promotions affect Starbucks, saying that the “value players” are competing in a different segment.

Still, the Seattle-based company cited pressure in the retail and restaurant sectors that have made it more cautious going into the next quarter. It cut its profit forecast for the year for the second time.

In its Asia unit, Starbucks’ sales rose just 1 percent at established locations during the three-month period. Starbucks has announced plans to acquire the remaining 50 percent stake of its East China joint venture that it does not already own. That makes it the operator of all Starbucks stores in mainland China, which it says is a fast-growing market.

For the quarter, Starbucks Corp. earned $691.6 million, or 47 cents per share. Excluding one-time items, it earned 55 cents per share, in line with Wall Street expectations. New store openings helped lift revenue 8 percent to $5.66 billion. But that was still less than analysts expected.

The company trimmed its adjusted earnings per share forecast to between $2.05 and $2.06 per share.

Starbucks shares fell 5.6 percent to $56.15 in extended trading.

http://www.ocregister.com/2017/07/28...res-this-year/

135 Applebee's, 25 IHOPs to close

The stores left our small town about 20 years ago, except for Dollar General. We have one grocery store.

Maybe the immigrants, refugees, and illegals are not shopping at these usual kinds of stores. There are a lot of ethnic groceries, ethnic clothing stores, ethnic hair dressers, tire shops, auto shops, car lots, restaurants, etc.

Maybe Americans don't have enough money left, after supporting all the imported people,to spend it on non-necessities.

Gap to close 200 Banana Republic, Gap stores

After reading the story of the shoplifting gang in CA, maybe the illegals do 'shop' in these stores and that's why they are loosing money.

https://www.alipac.us/image/jpeg;bas...M/X1qVKlLGI//Z
J. Crew will close dozens of stores by the end of January

CNNMoney-Nov 22, 2017
by Chris Isidore @CNNMoney November 22, 2017: 8:43 AM ET ... J. Crew announced late Tuesday that it plans to close 39 stores by the end of January ...


J.Crew Is Closing Even More Of Its Stores
Refinery29-Nov 22, 2017 View all



https://www.alipac.us/image/jpeg;bas...k7fs0KFCiP/9k=Bon-Ton Stores to close 40 stores in 2018

USA TODAY-Nov 16, 2017
Bon-Ton (BONT), the parent company of Boston Store, Younkers and ... J.C. Penney, Kmart, Macy's: These retailers are closing stores in 2017.


Bon-Ton, parent company of Boston Store and Younkers, to close 40 ...
Highly Cited-Milwaukee Journal Sentinel-Nov 16, 2017 View all



https://www.alipac.us/image/jpeg;bas...UUgOhooopgf//ZA Record Amount of Brick and Mortar Stores Will Close in 2017

Fortune-Oct 26, 2017
This year is going to go down as the worst year on record for brick-and-mortar retail. Retailers have announced plans to shutter more than ...

2017 just set the all-time record for store closings
CNNMoney-Oct 25, 2017 View all


https://www.alipac.us/image/jpeg;bas...ET8zRRRRAf/9k=Another 60-plus Sears, Kmart stores set to close in January 2018 ...

USA TODAY-Nov 3, 2017
An additional 45 Kmart stores and 18 Sears stores will be closing in late .... December 2017 and the store itself will close in late January 2018.

Who is shopping when WE are forced to pay for the unrelenting invasion of our County!

When OUR health insurance, car insurance and costs are sky high due to dumping these people in our neighborhoods and WE pay the costs!

When WE are working 12 hours a day, 6 days a week...and most 2-3 jobs to pay OUR own bills.

When WE are FORCED to pay BILLIONS OF DOLLARS for breeding, uneducated, disease infected refugees, asylum, TPS and illegal aliens who have NO respect for themselves, their country, or the USA!

When WE are forced to limit how many children WE have to be FORCED to pay for those sick disgusting people who have 7 wives and 19 kids!

Why would the ILLEGALS AND REFUGEES shop here when they can send 40 BILLION out of the country and not contribute to OUR ECONOMY they STEAL from?

NO MORE REFUGEES
NO ASYLUM
NO ILLEGAL ALIENS
NO DACA, NO PATH TO STAY
NO AMNESTY EVER!
NO ANCHOR BABIES!
NO TPS
NO HEALTHCARE
NO WELFARE
NO FOOD STAMPS
NO HOUSING
NO DRIVER'S LICENCE
NO SANCTUARY!

NO MORE PEOPLE FOR 10 YEARS!

Shoppers browse stores, buy online as Black Friday deals beckon

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By Richa Naidu and Nandita Bose
Reuters November 24, 2017


U.S. shoppers browse stores, buy online as Black Friday deals beckon

U.S. shoppers browse stores, buy online as Black Friday deals beckon
Yahoo Tech

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Scroll back up to restore default view.

By Richa Naidu and Nandita Bose

CHICAGO/NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stores offered deep discounts, entertainment and free gifts to lure bargain hunters on Black Friday, the traditional start of the holiday retail season, but some shoppers said they were just browsing the merchandise, reserving their cash for internet purchases.

Still, a sharp rise in online sales brightened the overall outlook for those traditional retailers that have expanded beyond brick-and-mortar outlets, sending their shares higher in day-after-Thanksgiving trading.

Stores also had carefully managed inventory, seeking to ward off any post-holiday liquidation that would weigh on profits.

There was little evidence of the delirious shopper frenzy customary of Black Fridays from past years, even as some stores appeared to be getting creative with gimmicks besides heavy discounts to draw in customers.

No actual data for Friday's brick-and-mortar business was immediately available.

Despite anecdotal signs of muted in-store sales - fewer cars in mall parking lots, shoppers leaving stores without purchases in hand - consumers are still expected to spend more overall this holiday season than last, analysts and industry executives said.

Black Friday online sales posted a strong start, at $640 million as of 10 a.m. ET (1500 GMT), according to Adobe Analytics, up 18.4 percent from a year ago. On Thanksgiving Day, U.S. shoppers spent more than $2.87 billion online.

Indeed, some chains struggled to keep up, with brief online outages experienced by Lowe's, H&M and the Gap, among others, according to website performance monitors.

Macy's Inc customers in several states, including Texas, Arizona and Illinois, took to social media to complain about the retailer's credit card processing system. The company acknowledged that processing was taking longer than usual in its stores and said it was working on the problem.

The hiccups dragged Macy's shares 0.6 percent lower in extended trading. They had ended the regular session up 2.1 percent, boosted by comments from Chief Executive Jeff Gennette, who told CNBC that Macy's was better off this year than last, had robust online demand and was in a good place for holiday promotions.

Adobe forecast that online Black Friday sales would reach a record $5 billion, with internet retailers projected to rake in an additional $6.6 billion on Cyber Monday. Adobe measures 80 percent of online transactions at the largest 100 U.S. web retailers.

Macy's and J.C. Penney Co Inc did a better job of ordering and controlling inventory this time, according to Burt Flickinger, managing director of Strategic Resources Group, a consultancy with seven researchers out in the field.

"The turnout this morning has been relatively slow, but it is still the best we have seen in three years," Flickinger said, citing improving consumer confidence, a strong job market and healthy housing prices.

Fair weather across much of the nation also was factor, said National Retail Federation President Matthew Shay.

Some shoppers were enticed by the promise of spectacle, while others felt the pull of nostalgia.

"It's like a hangout, it's an experience," said Jonathan Lin, 17. "All my friends are back from college and we got together."

"There’s something nostalgic about being at the stores this early,” Jennifer Stasiak said at Chicago’s popular Oakbrook Center.

Not everyone found the Black Friday magic irresistible.
“I avoid the store, too many crowds,” said Elana Silverstein, 32, a school counselor enjoying a warm, sunny day at Lake Balboa in Los Angeles. Instead, Silverstein said, she bought several personal items on sale Thursday night through the online marketplace Groupon.

She and her boyfriend, Mike Goldstein, 36, said they generally just buy gift cards from grocery stores, typically en route to holiday functions, rather than spend hours shopping in malls or online.

Major retailers generally traded higher on Wall Street. J.C. Penney climbed 0.6 percent and Wal-Mart Stores Inc edged upward. Amazon.com Inc closed up 2.6 percent at a record high.

Target Corp did not fare as well, with analysts noting that it closed its stores for several hours overnight while many rivals kept their doors open. Its shares fell 2.8 percent.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/black...--finance.html

$5 billion spent online in 24 hours
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BREAKING NEWS
Black Friday shoppers spent 17% more this year, while in-store foot traffic dipped slightly

Online sales boomed on Black Friday

by Jackie Wattles @jackiewattles November 25, 2017: 5:47 PM ET

Black Friday 2017 was all about digital sales.

American shoppers spent a record $5 billion in 24 hours. That marks a 16.9% increase in dollars spent online compared with Black Friday 2016, according to data from Adobe Digital Insights, which tracks 80% of online spending at America's 100 largest retail websites.

Digital retail giant Amazon (AMZN, Tech30) said Friday that orders were rolling in "at record levels." More than 200,000 toys were sold in just the first five hours of the day, the company said. Amazon did not provide sales figures for Black Friday.

Meanwhile, malls and big-box retailers were left only slightly emptier.

Early estimates from ShopperTrak, a data analytics company that measures the number of shoppers at stores, said foot traffic "decreased less than one percent when compared to Black Friday 2016."

A meager dip is good news for traditional retailers. As online-savvy businesses continue to gobble up more and more of the market share, companies like Macy's (M), JCPenney (JCP), Gap(GPS) and Sears (SHLD) have suffered.

It remains to be seen exactly how much in-store shoppers were willing to spend. That will be a crucial data point in assessing retailers' woes.

Related: Is this the last Black Friday?

But Brian Field, senior director of advisory services for ShopperTrak, is optimistic.

"There has been a significant amount of debate surrounding the shifting importance of brick-and-mortar retail, and the fact that shopper visits remained intact on Black Friday illustrates that physical retail is still highly relevant and, when done right, profitable," Field said in a statement.

Looking at both Thanksgiving Day and Black Friday, however, in-store foot traffic was actually down nearly 2% compared to the same two days last year.

Field says that's likely because "a greater number of brick-and-mortar retailers opted to close on Thanksgiving Day."

We'll know more about how it all shakes out in the coming months and early 2018, when big-box retailers post their next round of earnings reports.

In the meantime, there's plenty of busy holiday shopping days to come.

Adobe predicts that Cyber Monday will be even bigger than Black Friday, bringing in as much as $6 billion in digital sales.

http://money.cnn.com/2017/11/25/news...fic/index.html