Popular Mall Retailer Closes 150+ Stores, Including In IL

Plus-size retailer Torrid, which caters to women in sizes 10-30, has been quietly closing stores deemed "structurally unproductive" since last year, according to its year-end data. The chain closed 151 locations during its 2025 fiscal year, which ended Jan. 31.

The closures are part of a significant restructuring effort. The company did not list all of the store closures in its year-end report, but the brand entered its 2026 fiscal year with 483 locations across North America.

Torrid, which is based in Southern California, has shuttered 11 stores so far in 2026 and plans to close up to 30 more in the first half of the year, the Los Angeles Times reported.

The company's online store information, as of late March, included webpages for the following seven Illinois locations: North Riverside Park Mall in Riverside, Louis Joliet Mall in Joliet, Chicago Ridge Mall in Chicago Ridge, Gurnee Mills in Gurnee, Forest Plaza in Rockford, Woodfield Village Green in Schaumburg and Market Place Shopping Center in Champaign.

Torrid's Peoria store at the Northwoods Mall was slated to close in January, the Journal Star reported at the time.

According to the company's 2025 year-end report, Torrid's net sales declined 14.3 percent to $236.2 million from $275.6 million in the prior year's fourth quarter. Its gross profit margin was down as well, resulting in a net loss of $8.1 million.

Torrid CEO Lisa Harper acknowledged a 9.4 percent year-over-year drop in net sales but expressed confidence in a financial turnaround driven by the store closures, the launch of five new sub-brands, and a refined product focus.

“[We're] exceeding the high end of our outlook, while making deliberate strategic decisions required to put this business on a stronger footing. We closed 151 structurally unproductive locations, launched sub-brands that generated approximately $70 million in sales, and fundamentally restructured our product assortment around core franchises and fabrications our customers value," Harper said. "I am content we are on the right path and encouraged by early signs of progress we are seeing in the business.”