These 11 Retailers Could Be Closing New Jersey Stores In 2017

The job market in New Jersey could get pretty tough this year now that 11 national retailers plan to close a number of stores across the state and elsewhere.

Just last week, Kmart added itself to the list of retailers that are downsizing. That includes four Kmarts in New Jersey.

Some are large-box retailers that suffered poorer than expected holiday sales. But most are the smaller stores you usually see in the mall - and all of them have locations in some of the state's largest shopping centers, employing hundreds of people.

Here are the retailers that have announced closures in 2017:

• Kmart: Sears, which owns the chain, said it will close 150 Kmart and Sears stores by the spring, part of a "difficult but necessary step as we take actions to strengthen the company’s operations and fund its transformation," the company said in a statement. Read more here...
• Macy's: Macy's is closing three of its New Jersey department stores. The New Jersey locations are among 68 Macy's stores across the country that will be shuttered in order to save money, reinvest it in e-commerce and give a smaller number of stores a better customer experience, the company said in an announcement. Read more here...
• CVS: CVS reportedly plans to close 70 stores early this year. Overall, the company plans to eliminate roughly 300 jobs and close 200 stores, equal to about 5 percent of its outlets, according to The Wall Street Journal.
• The Limited: The company said it will close all its stores this month while continuing to operate online only after the closures. The chain operated about 250 retail stores in 2016 and said about 4,000 jobs, including seasonal and temporary ones, would be lost. The chain had locations at Freehold Raceway Mall in Freehold, Willowbrook Mall in Wayne, Monmouth Mall in Eatontown, Menlo Park Mall in Edison, Newport Centre in Jersey City, Livingston Mall in Livingston, Paramus Park in Paramus, Rockaway Townsquare in Rockaway and Woodbridge Center.
• Rite Aid: More than 800 Rite Aid stores will likely be changing hands in coming months, and possibly close, after Walgreens and Rite Aid agreed to sell stores to Fred's Pharmacy, the companies announced last month. The store locations involved have not been announced yet. Read more here...
• Chico's: The company, which owns stores in North Brunswick, Clifton, Cherry Hill and elsewhere, will close 120 "underperforming" stores in the next three years and open 40 stores this year, the company announced recently. The company hasn't said which stores will close.
• American Eagle Outfitters: The company used to sell the "quintessential sweatshirts of the suburban American teenager," according to The International Business Times. Now it's going to close 150 of its more than 1,000 stores by the end of 2017. The list of stores has yet to be released.
• Finish Line: Finish Line closed 54 stores in fiscal 2016, including 26 in the fourth quarter. The retailer plans to close about 25 stores in fiscal 2017, according to indystar.com. The store locations were not announced yet.
• Men's Warehouse/Jos. A. Bank: The parent company of the stores is supposed to close 250 locations, and two New Jersey stores - Flemington and Menlo Park Mall - had going-out-of-business sales, according to thebalance.com.
• The Children's Place: The Secaucus-based chain accelerated its store- closing plans recently to 200 stores through 2017 - including the 76 stores closed in 2013 and 2014 - up from its previous announced target of 125 stores through 2016, according to chainstorage.com. No word on the fate of New Jersey stores just yet.
• Office Depot: Office Depot, which scrapped a plan to merge with Staples in May on antitrust concerns, said it would close about 300 more stores in the next three years, according to Fortune. No word on the fate of New Jersey stores just yet.

Patch file photo