UPDATE: 2019 sets new record for number of store closures

Credit: DaytonDailyNews

With recent announcement that 200 GameStop locations will close, U.S. retail closures have reached 8,558, surpassing the previous record of 8,139 set in 2017.

More than 12,000 stores are expected to be slated for closure during 2019. Closures are far outpacing new openings, with only 3,446 stores opening so far this year, according to Coresight Research, which studies the retail industry.

Here’s a running list of major stores that are set to close in 2019:

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1. Dressbarn

Dressbarn will close all of its 650 stores, the company announced last week. One Ohio store in Hilliard just west of Columbus has already closed and another 27 stores have or will close this month. The rest haven’t had closing dates determined yet.

Dressbarn is owned by Ascena Retail Group, which also owns Lane Bryant, Justice, Catherines, Ann Taylor and Cacique. It recently sold off its Maurices chain, which closed a store at the Dayton Mall. Dressbarn also has stores in West Chester, Monroe, Columbus, Jeffersonville and Cincinnati.

2. Footlocker

Footlocker said it will close 145 more stores this year

3. Bed Bath & Beyond

Bed Bath & Beyond will close 40 stores this year, while also opening 15.

4. Pier 1

After a round of 30 closures last year, Pier 1 has said it will close at least another 45 stores and up to 15 percent of its portfolio if it doesn’t meet its goals. Roughly 145 stores would close if the company shutters 15 percent.

5. Bath and Body Works

Bath and Body Works, owned by L Brands with a local call center, will close 24 stores this year, the company said. But it will open 46 stores and remodel 175.

6. CVS

CVS Health already closed 46 underperforming stores this year, but no Ohio stores were impacted.

6. JCPenney

JCPenney is planning to close 27 stores this year, including 18 full-line department stores and nine home and furniture stores. Dayton-area stores stayed off the list, but analysts have said shoppers should expect more JCPenney stores to close.

7. Victoria’s Secret

Victoria's Secret will also close 53 stores after a disappointing holiday quarter. The company has struggled to adapt to changing consumer preferences in both merchandise and branding, leading customers to shop at other emerging lingerie and sleepwear brands.

8. Macy’s

Macy’s has set at least nine stores to close this year.

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9. Sears

Sears recently learned that it would survive at a fraction of the footprint it once was when a bankruptcy judge approved CEO Eddie Lampert’s bid to buy the company. But that wasn’t before every Miami Valley Sears got the ax.

Stores at the Dayton Mall and Mall at Fairfield Commons closed late last year, the Piqua store closed last month and the Springfield location is set to shutter later this month.

10. Payless ShoeSource

In a bankruptcy filing, Payless ShoeSource will close all 2,100 U.S. stores. Brookville city officials have also said that the distribution center in Brookville that employs roughly 500 people will also close, but the company has declined to comment on the warehouse.

Liquidation sales are happening at Payless now, with most stores expected to remain open through March and many through May.

11. Gymboree and Crazy 8

All Gymboree and Crazy 8 branded stores from Gymboree Group Inc. were set to close when the company filed for its second bankruptcy in January.

There are Gymboree stores at The Greene Town Center and several in the Cincinnati and Columbus regions. Crazy 8 has stores in the Mall at Fairfield Commons and Dayton Mall, which will both close this week.

Gymboree’s third brand, Janie and Jack, will continue operating as stand alone stores after Gap bought the company in bankruptcy court.

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12. Gap

Gap is closing stores, too. The company announced earlier this month that it would close 230 namesake stores and split from Old Navy. Both brands will now be operated as separate publicly traded companies.

13. Saks Off 5th

Hudson Bay company plans to shutter 20 of the 133 Saks Off 5th stores. The list is not public yet, but there is a store in Cincinnati that could potentially close.

14. Things Remembered

Things remembered nearly escaped closing all stores when Enesco, a giftware, home decor and accessory company, agreed to buy the chain. Enesco dedicated to continuing a portfolio of physical stores and online sales, but still 422 Things Remembered stores are expected to close.

It is unclear at this time whether Things Remembered stores at the Dayton Mall and Mall at Farifield Commons will be saved.

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15. Charlotte Russe

Charlotte Russe is in the process of liquidating all 500 of its stores, which are set to close later this week. The company filed for bankruptcy earlier this year and started liquidation sales March 7 after it was unable to find a buyers.

The store at the Dayton Mall will close Tuesday and the store at the Mall at Fairfield Commons will close later this week.

16. Ascena Retail

Ascena Retail announced today that it has sold majoirty stake in its Maurices line. The company previously announced that profit levels at its value unit, including Maurices and Dress Barn, was unnacceptable. A Maurices store at the Dayton Mall closed early this year.

About 400 Ascena Retail stores, which includes Dress Barn, Maurices, Justice, Lane Bryant, Caherines, Ann Taylor, Loft and Lou & Gray, will close.

17. Family Dollar

Nearly 400 Family Dollar stores will shut down as parent Dollar Tree Inc. attempts to turn the brand around.

The company announced earlier this month that it will close as many as 390 Family Dollar stores and rebrand another 200 as Dollar Tree.

A spokeswoman told the Dayton Daily News a list of stores has not been released yet.

»RELATED: 4 area mall stores closing this week

18. GNC

GNC will close 233 stores this year, according to CoreSight.

19. Shopko

Shopko doesn’t have any local stores, but the Wisconsin-based company is contributing more than 370 closings to the overall 2019 list. The company filed for bankruptcy early this year with plans to close more than 100 stores and added the rest of its fleet to the list after being unable to secure a buyer.

20. Pat Catan’s

Michaels announced plans to close all of its Pat Catan’s craft and floral stores in January. Springfield has a Pat Catan’s store. The stores are expected to shutter later this year.

21. Destination Maternity

Destination Maternity has said it will close between 42 and 67 stores this year.

22. Signet Jewelers

The owner of Kay Jewelers, Jared, Zales and other jewelry chaings announced recently that it plans to close about 150 stores. A company spokesman declined to give a list to the Dayton Daily News.

23. Walgreens

The company plans to close about 200 stores.

24. Charming Charlie

Charming Charlie announced earlier this year that it would close all 261 stores in a bankruptcy filing, including at The Greene Town Center in Beavercreek, Polaris Fashion Place in Columbus, Deerfield Towne Center near Mason and Rookwood Commons and Pavilion in Cincinnati.

25. Avenue

Avenue stores are currently having going out of business sales as all 222 liquidate, including three in the region at 2850 Centre Drive in Beavercreek, 8225 Old Troy Pike in Huber Heights and the Voices of America Center in Westchester.

26. Fred’s

While Fred’s doesn’t have a presence in the Miami Valley, the drug store contributes to about 568 store closures for the year.

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