Retailers You Won’t Be Seeing In North Carolina In 2019

The beloved chain Toys R Us was likely the most high-profile retail closure in 2018, but it’s one of just many stores that you won’t be seeing in 2019.

According to Coresight Research, U.S. retailers have announced 5,436 store closures in 2018, as of Dec. 19. Coresight’s research shows that the number of store closures in 2018 is far lower than the closures in 2017. In 2017, there were 8,139 store closures and 4,231 openings, according to Coresight.

We’ve compiled a list of major store closures announced in 2018. Stores may have already closed or will shutter in 2019.

Toys R Us
After much speculation about the company’s future, Toys R Us announced in March 2018 that it would be shutting down its operations in the U.S., closing 735 stores. The iconic toy store closed all of its U.S. locations over the summer, including 14 in North Carolina.

Sears
The Illinois-based company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in October, announcing the closure of 142 unprofitable locations. The 142 stores slated for closure when Sears filed for bankruptcy aren’t the only Sears/Kmart locations the company is shuttering. At least 46 locations were already set to close by the end of November. Yet another round of closings announced by the company in November included 40 stores set to close in February 2019, according to USA Today. The Sears location in Winston-Salem, North Carolina is included in the closures.

Mattress Firm
The Houston-based retailer filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in October. When filing for bankruptcy, the company said it planned to close 200 stores in the immediate future and in total planned for up to 700 closures. In November, the company said it was moving forward with an optimized store footprint of approximately 2,600 stores. In North Carolina, 20 Mattress Firm locations were affected.

Brookstone
Brookstone also filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2018. The company said it was hiring liquidators to close its roughly 100 remaining mall locations. Brookstone said it hopes to keep open 35 remaining airport stores.

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