JC Penney closed some 170 locations in the last two years.Rick Moriarty | rmoriarty@syracuse.com
Retailers have reported a busy holiday shopping season but it comes after two years of difficult times amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Big-box stores have been hit hard by shutdowns and inflation just as more people and companies are focusing on online sales. As a result, several retailers announced permanent store closings or filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the last year.
Here’s a look at the major retail chains that announced closings or shuttered stores permanently in 2021:
American Eagle
American Eagle announced it will close 200 to 250 locations, mostly mall based, over the next three years. There are currently about 880 American Eagle stores. On the plus side, the company plans to add 50 Aerie stores to bring that total to 400.
Banana Republic
Banana Republic and Gap
Banana Republic’s parent company Gap Inc. announced in 2020 it was planning to close about 350 Gap and Banana Republic stores by the end of 2023. All of those locations are in North America. This year, the company announced plans to close another 100 Gap and Banana Republic stores worldwide.
Bed Bath & Beyond
In 2020, Bed Bath & Beyond announced plans to close 200 stores. Two Alabama stores – one in Birmingham and one in Alabaster – were part of the shutdown.
Christopher & Banks
Women’s retailer Christopher & Banks filed Chapter 11 reorganization and closed 400 stores early in 2021.
CVS
The drug store chain CVS announced it will close 300 stores per year over the next three years with shutdowns starting in spring 2022. Locations that will be closed have not been announced.
CVS operates more than 10,000 stores across the U.S.
DSW
DSW’s parent company, Designer Brands Inc., announced it will close about 65 stores over the next four years. DSW operates 501 locations in 44 states.
Express
Retail chain Express announced it was closing more than 90 locations.
JC Penney
JC Penney closed some 170 locations in 2020 following what it called a “comprehensive review of the JC Penney retail footprint.” The closures continued in 2021, including the Andalusia, Enterprise, Florence, Scottsboro and Spanish Fort locations in Alabama.
JC Penney filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in mid-May 2000 after years of sales declines worsened by the coronavirus-related shutdowns.
Justice
Teen brand Justice announced in 2020 it was closing its 600 locations, including 11 locations in Alabama. The closures were complete in early 2021.
Macy’s
Department store chain Macy’s will close a number of stores throughout the U.S. next year. As many as 10 stores will close in January 2022. The exact locations to be closed have not been announced. Macy’s operates two locations in Alabama: one at the Riverchase Galleria in Hoover and a second at Brookwood Village in Mountain Brook.
Starbucks
In 2020, Starbucks announced it would close as many as 400 locations over 18 months as it increased options for curbside pick-up, drive-through and mobile-only locations.
Children’s Place
Children’s Place announced it will close 200 stores this year with an additional 100 slated for closure in 2021. The chain currently has about 920 locations.
Most of the closures will take place in Children’s Place mall-based locations.
Victoria’s Secret
Victor’s Secret closed as many as 50 U.S. stores this year.
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