REI Co-op, Claire’s, JCPenney & More

Store closures have been on the rise throughout the U.S. in 2025. Several well-known retailers have closed multiple locations this year and announced downsizing plans for the future.

The year began with the announcement of store closures by Kohl’s and Macy’s, which shut down several locations nationwide. Other companies, including J.C. Penney, Walgreens, Party City and CVS, have also confirmed the closing of some underperforming stores across the country.

In February, fabrics and crafts retailer Joann announced it’s officially going out of business. After 80 years in the market, the company is closing its 800 stores nationwide in 49 states.

“We are committed to working constructively with the winning bidder to ensure an orderly wind-down of operations that minimizes the impact on all our stakeholders. We deeply appreciate our dedicated Team Members, our customers and communities across the nation for their unwavering support for more than 80 years,” the company said in its latest statement.

In the same month, Liberated Brands, the company behind Volcom, Billabong, Quiksilver, Spyder, RVCA, Roxy, and Honolua, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in Delaware, announcing the closure of all its stores in the U.S. Liberated’s chief executive officer Todd Hymel blamed “fast-fashion powerhouses,” “ongoing inflationary pressures and high interest rates” for the company’s financial struggles.

According to Hymel, Liberated “made the difficult decision to close its corporate offices and lay off approximately 350 corporate employees and approximately 1,040 retail staff” in December.

The downsizing trend affecting retailers doesn’t seem to be slowing down soon.

Nordstrom shut down two stores in August, while outdoor retailer REI Co-op announced in October plans to close three high-profile stores in New York, Boston, and Paramus, New Jersey, in 2026.

WWD reported in January that, according to Coresight Research, a research and advisory firm specializing in retail and technology, approximately 15,000 stores are expected to close this year in the U.S. In 2024, U.S. store closures totaled 7,325, the highest number of store closures seen since 2020.  

Here, see the store chains closing multiple locations nationwide in 2025.

REI Co-op

Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI) announced plans to close three of its U.S. stores next year, according to USA Today. The list includes its flagship stores in New York, Boston, and Paramus, New Jersey.

“We are deeply grateful to our teams, our members and customers, and the stores’ communities for their support over the years,” Rei said in a statement. “As markets and customer needs evolve, we must adapt to position the co-op for long-term success. We will continue serving members and customers at these locations until closing, and at our other stores across the New York and Boston regions.”

Orvis

Orvis, the Vermont-based outdoor retailer, announced on Oct. 7 that it will close 31 full-price stores and five outlets by early 2026 and return to its roots as a fishing and hunting brand, eliminating much of its lifestyle apparel business.

“Like many in retail, Orvis’ business model faced a sizable shift with the introduction of an unprecedented tariff landscape. For more than a century-and-a-half, we’ve been committed to being leaders in our space for customers and partners, beginning with our industry-leading fly rods still crafted in Vermont today. To ensure a durable brand and model for decades to come, we are focusing on our core strengths and making the difficult but necessary decision to rescale the business by tightening our assortment and reducing our corporate store footprint,” Orvis’ president Simon Perkins said in a statement.

Neiman Marcus

Neiman Marcus will close its store in The Shops at Willow Bend, located in Plano, Texas, a suburb of Dallas. As previously reported by WWD, Neiman has indicated that the property is being sold to the developer, Centennial, for an undisclosed price, and that decision to close the unit was based on Centennial’s plan to reimagine the center. The store, which opened in 2001, will remain in business until January 2027.

Claire’s

Claire’s Holdings LLC announced in August it had sold its North American business to private equity firm Ames Watson for $104 million, listing more than 290 stores it planned to close in a court filing. The list included 235 Claire’s locations in the U.S. and 56 Icing stores. The filing also listed 830 stores not expected to close immediately.

Joann

Joann announced in February the closure of all its 800 stores nationwide, across 49 states. The announcement came after the company failed to find a buyer that would keep its stores open, and it sold all of its remaining assets to the financial services company GA Group.

Macy’s

Macy’s Inc. will close 66 stores total this year as part of its Bold New Chapter strategy, which was announced in February 2024 and calls for closing approximately 150 underproductive stores while investing in its 350 “go-forward” Macy’s locations, all through fiscal 2026. 

Among the department store closings are locations in downtown Brooklyn, N.Y.; Boynton Beach, Fla.; Philadelphia City Center; and Sunrise Mall in Massapequa, N.Y.

JCPenney

JCPenney closed eight stores in 2025. The list included stores at the Westfield Annapolis Mall in Annapolis, Md.; the Pine Ridge Mall in Pocatello, Idaho; the West Ridge Mall in Topeka, Kan.; the Fox Run Mall in Newington, N.H.’ the Asheville Mall in Asheville, N.C.; the Charleston Town Center in Charleston, W.Va.; the Shops at Tanforan in San Bruno, Calif., and the Shops at Northfield in Denver.

Liberated Brands

All Volcom, Billabong, Quiksilver, Spyder, RVCA, Roxy and Honolua stores were closed after Liberated Brands filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in February.

Liberated had a quick and short-lived rise following the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The company increased its revenue from $350 million in 2021 to $422 million in 2022, going from 67 stores to 140. In 2023, Liberated acquired licenses and retail assets for Quiksilver, Billabong, Roxy, RVCA, Honolua and Boardriders from Authentic Brands Group.

Due to financial challenges, “Liberated had to further stretch its accounts payable to conserve liquidity amid growing uncertainty about the future of the business.” In December 2024, Authentic Brands Group terminated its licenses.

ABG will continue to sell the surf and skate clothing labels to other retailers.

At Home

At Home closed 26 locations, according to court filings. The retailer sought Chapter 11 protection as part of a restructuring plan aimed at reducing $2 billion in debt while injecting $200 million to bolster future operations.

The list of stores closing includes locations in California, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.

Dollar General

Dolla General closed 96 stores and 45 Popshelf stores during the first quarter of 2025. The announcement was made in its fourth-quarter earnings report on March 13.

“As we look to build on the substantial progress we made on our Back to Basics work in fiscal 2024, we believe this review was appropriate to further strengthen the foundation of our business,” said Todd Vasos, Dollar General’s chief executive officer. “While the number of closings represents less than one percent of our overall store base, we believe this decision better positions us to serve our customers and communities.”

Kohl’s

Kohl’s Corp. closed its long-standing San Bernardino, Calif., e-commerce fulfillment center and 27 retail locations in 2025. The downsizing included the closure of stores in California, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Texas and other states. 

“We always take these decisions very seriously,” said Tom Kingsbury, Kohl’s CEO, via statement in January. “As we continue to build on our long-term growth strategy, it is important that we also take difficult but necessary actions to support the health and future of our business for our customers and our teams.”

Walgreens

Walgreens announced in October 2024 that it will close 1,200 underperforming stores across the U.S. over the next three years, with 500 to be closed in the company’s fiscal year 2025, which ends in August 2025.

“Our financial results in the fiscal fourth quarter and full year 2024 reflected our disciplined execution on cost management, working capital initiatives and capex reduction. In fiscal 2025, we are focusing on stabilizing the retail pharmacy by optimizing our footprint, controlling operating costs, improving cash flow, and continuing to address reimbursement models to support dispensing margins and preserve patient access for the future,” said Tim Wentworth, CEO of Walgreens Boots Alliance, via statement. “Fiscal 2025 will be an important rebasing year as we advance our strategy to drive value creation. This turnaround will take time, but we are confident it will yield significant financial and consumer benefits over the long term.”

CVS

CVS announced in 2021 that it would close 900 stores over three years, with 300 locations shuttered by 2024. For 2025, the company hasn’t disclosed specific store locations for closure but is targeting stores with redundant coverage or low traffic. This downsizing follows a strategic transformation at CVS as the company plans to expand its health care services.

Party City 

In December, Party City announced the closure of its 700 stores by Feb. 28. The company, founded in 1986, blamed inflation and changes in customer spending for its demise.