The US

2019 Major US Store Closures and Openings Year to date in 2019, U.S. retailers have announced they will close 1,674 stores and open 1,380 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?

Il Bisonte to Open First US Store High-end Italian accessories and leather brand Il Bisonte is set to open its first store in the U.S. and the retailer has signed a 2,600-square-foot leased space to this end. The company, which currently operates eight stores in Europe and 44 globally, expects to open its new U.S. store in February.

Non-Store-Closure News

David’s Bridal Overcomes Bankruptcy Wedding dress retailer David’s Bridal is emerging from bankruptcy according to a January 18 company press release. The retailer has completed its financial restructuring and says that it is poised for long-term growth with a substantially stronger balance sheet and a clear strategy for the future. The retailer filed for bankruptcy in November 2018 and is currently owned by a group of lenders that includes Oaktree Capital Group.

Head Sport Set to Buy Most of Advanced Sports Enterprises’ Assets European sports retailer Head Sport has undertaken to buy most of the assets of embattled bike retailer Advanced Sports Enterprises (ASE) for $21.5 million (subject to court approval) at a bankruptcy auction last week, according to Bicycle Reporter and Industry News. The sale could lead to some Performance Bicycle stores (ASE’s subsidiary) averting closure. ASE had filed for bankruptcy protection in November 2018.

[caption id="attachment_67051" align="aligncenter" width="792"] Source: Company reports/Coresight Research[/caption]   [caption id="attachment_67050" align="aligncenter" width="794"] *Total includes retailers that have announced multi-year store opening plans which have been recorded based on an estimate for each year. This includes Aldi which announced a five-year plan for store openings until 2022.
Source: Company reports/Coresight Research[/caption]   [caption id="attachment_67049" align="aligncenter" width="790"] *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[/caption]   [caption id="attachment_67048" align="aligncenter" width="798"] *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[/caption]   2019 Major US Store Bankruptcies [caption id="attachment_67047" align="aligncenter" width="796"] Source: Company reports/Coresight Research[/caption]   2018 Major US Store Bankruptcies [caption id="attachment_67046" align="aligncenter" width="790"] Source: Company reports/Coresight Research[/caption]

The UK

2019 Major UK Store Closures and Openings Year to date in the U.K., major retailers have announced 219 store closures and 305 store openings. These data represent closures and openings by calendar year, so these totals include announcements made in 2018 expected to occur in 2019.

What Is Happening This Week in the UK?

House of Fraser’s Intu Stores to Remain Open Sports Direct, which acquired House of Fraser in August 2018, has reversed its decision to close four of the latter’s stores located in Intu shopping centers. Shopping center operator Intu has confirmed that it has come to “an interim agreement” with Sports Direct to keep the stores open for the immediate future. Sports Direct had announced in November 2018 that these stores would close by early 2019 following a failure to reach an agreement with Intu. The stores in question are located within Intu’s Lakeside in Essex, Metrocentre in Gateshead, Norwich and Nottingham schemes.

 

Iceland to Open Three New Stores British supermarket chain is set to open three new stores in the U.K.. A new store in Launceston Retail Park will replace what used to be a New Look store earlier and is scheduled to open on February 26 subject to confirmation, according to an Iceland spokesperson. Another one is set to open in Fox Valley shopping center in north Sheffield in April. The retailer will also open a store in Bargoed by spring this year. The company had announced earlier this month that it also plans to open two large ‘The Food Warehouse’ (a trading arm of Iceland) supermarkets in Suffolk.

John Lewis Set to Close Knight & Lee Store in Southsea Department store chain John Lewis has announced that it will close its 35,000-square-foot Knight & Lee store in Southsea, Hampshire, in what will be its first store closure since 2006. The retailer cited that the store was its smallest full-range department store and could not easily be modernized. The closure will be completed in July with the retailer assuring that it is not planning any other closures.

Columbia to Open Flagship Store in London American outdoor apparel and footwear brand Columbia Sportswear has announced that it will open a flagship European store in London in early 2019. The new store will be located at Carnaby street and will span 2,465 square feet across two floors. The store will offer a wide variety of outdoor apparel, footwear, accessories and equipment. The flagship store, however, is not its first store in the U.K.; Columbia already has a store operating in Kensington High Street in west London.

[caption id="attachment_67045" align="aligncenter" width="794"] 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 Debenhams, Homebase, Laura Ashley and New Look.
Source: Company reports/Coresight Research[/caption]   [caption id="attachment_67044" align="aligncenter" width="796"] Source: Company reports/Coresight Research[/caption]   [caption id="attachment_67043" align="aligncenter" width="798"] *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[/caption]   [caption id="attachment_67042" align="aligncenter" width="792"] 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 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[/caption]  

Notes Figures represent store openings and closures that fell, or are expected to fall, in the respective calendar years. For some retailers, store opening and closure numbers are estimated, including from part-year data, global figures or announced closure/opening programs that span multiple years. Estimates are updated as companies file details of changes in their store estates. Figures for openings and closures are gross.