Coresight Research tracks news about store closures and openings, bankruptcies and management changes. Our Weekly Store Openings and Closures Tracker focuses on department stores and specialty retail stores, including, but not limited to, those selling softlines, hardlines, consumer electronics, groceries and furniture.

The US

2018 Summary In the US, we recorded a total of 5,524 store closures by major retailers over the course of 2018. We also recorded a total of 3,083 store openings by major retailers in 2018. 2019 Major US Store Closures and Openings Year to date in 2019, US retailers announced they will close 1,167 stores and open 1,170 stores. Our data represent closures and openings by calendar year, so these totals include announcements made in 2018 of closures and openings expected to fall in 2019.

What Is Happening This Week in the US?

Sears Set to Close an Additional 80 Stores Struggling retailer Sears has announced that it will close 80 further stores in addition to the previously announced 40 closures. The new batch of closures is expected to be completed by the end of March 2019 with liquidation sales expected to commence in early January 2019. Gap Announces Plans to Close Fifth Avenue Store Clothing and accessories retailer Gap has announced that it plans to shutter its Fifth Avenue location in New York on January 20, 2019. In November 2018, the retailer had announced that it will close “hundreds” of stores but no further details have been provided so far on the timeline and addresses of the stores to be closed. In our store closures tracker for 2019, we have recorded only the Fifth Avenue closure since it represents the only confirmed closure.

Source: Company reports/Coresight Research

Source: Company reports/Coresight Research

*Total includes a small number of retailers that each announced between one and five store closures and are not included in the chart above. Source: Company reports/Coresight Research

*Total includes a small number of retailers that each announced one or two store openings and are not included in the chart above. Source: Company reports/Coresight Research

2018 Major US Store Bankruptcies

Source: Company reports/Coresight Research

The UK

2018 Summary In the UK, we recorded a total of 1,432 store closures by major retailers over the course of 2018. We also recorded a total of 755 store openings by major retailers in the UK in 2018. 2019 Major UK Store Closures and Openings Year to date in the UK, retailers have announced 225 store closures and 252 store openings. As with our US numbers above, our data represent closures and openings by calendar year, so these totals include announcements made in 2018 of closures and openings expected to fall in 2019.

What Is Happening This Week in the UK?

Greenwoods Closes All its 40 Stores At the end of December, menswear retail chain Greenwoods entered into liquidation and shut down all its remaining 40 stores after the company collapsed for the second time in less than 18 months. The company had previously gone into administration in September 2017 but was saved from closure. These closures are represented in our total for 2018. Co-op Set to Open 100 New Stores in 2019 British consumer co-operative group, the Co-op has announced plans to open 100 new food stores during 2019 as part of a £200 million ($253.3 million) store investment programme. In addition to the new stores, the retailer will also be revamping around 200 stores. Around a third of the new stores are set to be opened in London and the South East.

Coresight Research attributes store openings and closures to the year in which they occurred or are expected to occur. We estimate this information for some retailers including M&S Clothing & Home, New Look, Homebase and Laura Ashley. Source: Company reports/Coresight Research

Source: Company reports/Coresight Research

*H&M store closures include the Cheap Monday banner. Coresight Research attributes store openings and closures to the year in which they occurred or are expected to occur. We estimate this information for some retailers, including Argos, B&M, Homebase, M&S, Monsoon Accessorize, Sainsbury’s and Tesco. Source: Company reports/Coresight Research

Coresight Research attributes store openings and closures to the year in which they occurred or are expected to occur. We estimate this information for some retailers, including Aldi, B&M, Footasylum, Greggs, Habitat, Hema, Heron Foods, House, Lidl, M&Co, M&S, Pets at Home, Sainsbury’s and Smiggle. Source: Company reports/Coresight Research