Coresight Research tracks news about store closures, openings and bankruptcies. 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 2019 Major US Store Closures and Openings Year to date in 2019, U.S. retailers have announced they will close 4,287 stores and open 1,586. Our data represent closures and openings by calendar year, so these totals include announcements made in 2018 of closures and openings expected to occur in 2019. What Is Happening This Week in the US Payless Files for Bankruptcy, Set to Close 2,100 Stores Discount footwear retailer Payless filed for bankruptcy protection for the second time on February 15 and plans to close all its 2,100 stores in the U.S. and Puerto Rico by the end of May this year. The retailer has already wound up its e-commerce website and has begun liquidation sales in its stores which the company expects to continue until at least March. The company filed for bankruptcy protection previously, in April 2017, closed 673 stores and emerged from bankruptcy protection in August of the same year. Hobby Lobby Plans to Open 65 New Stores Arts and crafts store chain Hobby Lobby plans to continue expanding by opening 65 new stores and relocating 16 stores over the course of the year. In 2018, the company opened 54 new stores and relocated 20 stores. The retailer currently has a store network of over 840 stores across the U.S. Wayfair Opens Its First Physical Store Online home furnishings retailer Wayfair has opened its first brick-and-mortar store. The new store is located in Florence, Kentucky, close to its distribution center in Erlanger, Kentucky, and will offer products that have been returned but are in good condition, as well as other discounted goods. [caption id="attachment_77182" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Source: Company reports/Coresight Research[/caption]   [caption id="attachment_77184" align="aligncenter" width="800"] *Total includes retailers that have announced multi-year store opening plans which have been recorded based on an estimate for each year, which includes Aldi’s five-year plan for store openings through 2022
Source: Company reports/Coresight Research[/caption]   [caption id="attachment_77185" align="aligncenter" width="800"] *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_77187" align="aligncenter" width="800"] *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_77188" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Source: Company reports/Coresight Research[/caption]   2018 Major US Store Bankruptcies [caption id="attachment_77189" align="aligncenter" width="800"] *A’gaci emerged from bankruptcy in August 2018
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 285 store closures and 317 store openings. Our data represent closures and openings by calendar year, so include announcements made in 2018 of openings or closures expected to occur in 2019. What Is Happening This Week in the UK Morphe to Open a Store in Liverpool U.S. beauty retailer Morphe Cosmetics will open a new store in the Liverpool One shopping, residential and leisure complex, on Paradise Street. The new shop will be its first in the northwestern region of the U.K. The company expects to open the new store this summer. Claire’s Store in Exeter Shuts Down U.S. accessories and jewelry retailer Claire’s has announced it will close its Exeter store by February 23, according to local news website Devonlive. Non-Store-Closure News Sainsbury’s-Asda Merger British supermarket chain Sainsbury’s hit a roadblock in its plans to acquire fellow supermarket chain Asda after the U.K. Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) expressed concerns over the deal’s potential impact on supermarket competition. In its preliminary findings, the CMA stated the proposed merger could push up prices and cut consumer choice. The regulator said it may block the deal or force a large scale divestiture of stores, but also cautioned that divestitures alone may not address its concerns. Sainsbury and Asda have until March 13 to respond to the CMA, which will publish its final decision on April 30. [caption id="attachment_77216" align="aligncenter" width="800"] 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_77221" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Source: Company reports/Coresight Research[/caption]   [caption id="attachment_77222" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Coresight Research attributes store openings and closures to the year in which they occurred or are expected to occur, and 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_77224" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Coresight Research attributes store openings and closures to the year in which they occurred or are expected to occur, and 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]  

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Notes Figures represent store openings and closures that occured, or are expected to occur, 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.