4 Florida Disney Stores Closing In Next 2 Weeks

FLORIDA — Four Disney stores in Florida among the dozens nationally that are set to close in the next two weeks. The closures in the Tampa, Orlando and Miami areas are the last of the full-size shops in the chain.

The stores will close on or before Sept. 15. They are listed on the company's store locator as sites that will close soon as Target plans to open more than 100 Disney shops inside many of their stores nationwide, USA Today reported.

The sites closing are:

• Doral: Miami International Mall, 1455 Northwest 107th Ave.
• Lutz: Tampa Premium Outlets, 2300 Grand Cypress Drive
• Miami: Dadeland Mall, 7527 Dadeland Mall
• Orlando: The Florida Mall, 8001 So. Orange Blossom Trail

The stores are among 57 Disney said would close before Sept. 15, according to the report. Disney said earlier this year it was closing 40 other stores nationwide.

Only the Disney Outlet in Destin will remain open after this round of closures.

The announcement brings the number of stores Disney plans to close to 97.

In March, Disney said it will close at least 60 physical stores this year to focus on its e-commerce business, according to USA Today. The report said only about two dozen Disney stores will remain open around the country after the latest round of closures.

Stephanie Young, the president of consumer products, games and publishing for Disney, told USA Today in March the company has "been focused on meeting consumers where they are already spending their time, such as the expansion of Disney store shop-in-shops around the world."

"We now plan to create a more flexible, interconnected e-commerce experience that gives consumers easy access to unique, high-quality products across all our franchises," Young said.

The stores inside Disney theme parks and Target stores won't be affected by the latest closures, the USA Today report says. Target will continue to add Disney store sites inside their own stores as more Disney standalone sites close.

Even before stores were shut down by the coronavirus, traditional brick-and-mortar establishments were losing revenue and customers to e-commerce giants like Amazon, Target and Walmart.

Store closings ramped up in the first half of 2021, even as states loosened coronavirus restrictions and shoppers headed back to malls. Victoria's Secret, Best Buy, Macy's, Bed Bath & Beyond and J.C. Penney have all said they will close stores this year, USA Today reported.

Here is a list of some of the stores in Florida that closed in 2020.

A.C. Moore

This arts and crafts supply chain closed all of its stores, including four in Florida this year. There were locations in Davie, Fort Walton Beach, Jacksonville and Port St. Lucie.

Ascena Retail Group

The company that owns and operates Ann Taylor, LOFT, Lou & Grey, Lane Bryant, Justice, Catherines and Cacique announced in July that it would close about 1,1o0 underperforming stores, including some in Florida.

Bar Louie

This chain gastro pub filed for bankruptcy, closing 38 restaurants across the country, including its Midtown Miami location.

Dunkin'

In July, the coffee chain announced the closure of 450 East Coast locations in Speedway gas stations.

Earth Fare
This specialty grocer bashed in Asheville, North Carolina closed all stores earlier this year, including 14 in Florida.

Golden Corral
The largest Golden Corral franchisee announced the closure of 33 locations in Florida and Georgia during the pandemic.

JCPenney
The department store filed for bankruptcy in June and announced the closure of 149 stores, including a handful of Florida locations. More closures are expected next year.

Lord & Taylor
Lord & Taylor LLC and its parent company filed for bankruptcy in August and announced the closure of its remaining stores, including its final Florida location in Boca Raton.

Lucky's Market
This Colorado-based grocery chain targeted Florida in recent years, opening 21 stores. Then, in January, it abruptly announced the closure of all but one — the West Melbourne location — and also scrapped plans for 14 future stores in the Sunshine State.

Pier 1 Imports
At the start of the year, Pier 1 Imports said it would close half of its stores. By May, though, because of the pandemic the company was filing for bankruptcy and closing all of its locations nationwide.

Starbucks
Earlier in the year, the chain coffee shop announced it would close 400 locations. In November, the corporation added another 100 shops to that tally.

Steak 'n Shake
With sales plunging during the pandemic, this Indianapolis-based burger chain closed more than 100 locations nationwide earlier in the year, including some in Florida, and another round of closures in November.

Stein Mart
This Florida retailer, based in Jacksonville, announced in August that it was filing for bankruptcy and has closed its 281 stores across 30 states.

Sweet Tomatoes
Salad lovers said goodbye to buffet chain Sweet Tomatoes this year. San Diego-based Garden Fresh Restaurants announced the closure of Sweet Tomatoes and Souplantation restaurants nationwide, including its Florida locations in May.

Wahlburgers
The Central Florida franchisee of this burger chain from entertainment mogul brothers Mark, Donnie and Paul Wahlberg closed the handful of Orlando-area locations it operated over the summer. The chain's Key West eatery remains open.

Related: These Chain Restaurants, Stores Closed In Florida In 2020