Pittsburgh Retail Closings 2019: Many Stores Bid Farewell

PITTSBURGH, PA - The retail meltdown continued unabated in 2019, as an increasing number of brick-and-mortar businesses have fallen victim to e-commerce companies such as Amazon.

According to Business Insider, retailers announced plans to close more than 9,300 stores in 2019,

pummeling the previous record of roughly 8,000 store closures in 2017. Chains that shuttered g for good include shoe and clothing stores, while department stores and other retailers continued their dramatic downsizing.

Here are more than a dozen chains with Pittsburgh-area locations that either closed completely or downsized in 2019. You can click on the retailers' links to read more about their financial woes.

• Payless ShoeSource: Went belly-up in bankruptcy and closed its 2,300 stores.

• Gymobree: The children's clothing retailer filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in January and closed its more than 900 Gymboree and Crazy 8 stores.

• .Charlotte Russe: The women's clothing store folded and closed 500 stores.

• Dressbarn: The company announced it May it would close all 650 of its stores and go out of business

• Family Dollar: The discount retailer is shuttering more than 400 locations. Another 200 will be converted to Dollar Tree, which purchased the rival chain in 2015. Some Family Dollars will keep their name will be stocked with $1 Dollar Tree merchandise and alcohol sections.

• Charming Charlie:The woman's fashion accessory retailer filed for bankruptcy in July and closed its 260 stores nationwide.

• Foot Locker: The shoe store began closing 165 stores.

• Forever 21: Announced in September it was filing for bankruptcy and closing up to 178 stores.

• GameStop: The company announced in September it would close as many as 200 stores by the end of 2019.

• Gap: The clothing and accessories retailer shuttered more than 200 stores this year and in 2020.

• Victoria's Secret: The women's lingerie store closing more than 50 underperforming stores.

• Bed Bath & Beyond: The domestic merchandiser is closing 40 stores, although opening 15 experimental "lab" location.

• Pat Catan's:: The crafts stores closed all 36 of its craft and floral stores in Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia and Michigan, although some are reopening as Michaels locations.

• Pier One: The home goods retailer announced it was closing as many as 145 locations this fiscal year:

• J.C. Penney: The department store will close 18 locations and nine home and furniture stores this year.

• Office Depot: The office supply store will shutter 40 Office Max and Office Depot stores this year.

• Party City: Announced in August it would close 55 stores.

• Sears: In January, the bankrupt chain announced the closure of 80 additional stores in addition to a previously announced 40.