(NEXSTAR) — U.S. retailers have announced 8,400 store closures this year, according to data from Coresight Research, and the company expects 2020 to set a new record, surpassing the 9,302 closures it tracked in 2019.
In addition, about 17% of American restaurants — roughly 110,000 — have permanently closed this year, with thousands more possible, according to a recent National Restaurant Association report.
Retail and restaurants — many already in deep debt — were devastated by lockdowns due to the coronavirus pandemic, prompting dozens to declare bankruptcy this year. Here are 30 chains that were hard hit.
January
Papyrus: The seller of stationery and upscale greeting cards went out of business, resulting in the closure of more than 250 stores across the U.S. and Canada.
Bar Louie: The restaurant chain closed about half of its 90 U.S. locations and filed for Chapter 11.
Krystal: The 88-year-old Atlanta-based fast-food chain filed for bankruptcy in January then emerged in May after its sale to one of its senior lenders was approved.
February
Pier 1 Imports: The home goods retailer filed for bankruptcy and closed all of its locations, which once numbered more than 1,000. In July, an investment firm purchased the brand name, which will be relaunched as an online-only store.
March
Modell’s Sporting Goods: Founded in 1889, the chain that’s known for selling team jerseys and equipment for youth leagues permanently closed all 153 of its stores. The company that bought Pier 1 also bought Modell’s brand name in August for an online store, according to CNN.
April
True Religion: The denim retailer filed for bankruptcy in April and emerged in October. Though it cut its debt, it ended up closing dozens of locations.
May
J.Crew Group: The retailer that operates the J.Crew and Madewell brands filed for bankruptcy protection in May and exited in September.
Neiman Marcus: The 113-year-old department store filed for bankruptcy in May and closed five stores, including its Hudson Yards stores that opened in New York City in 2019. It emerged from bankruptcy in September.
JCPenney: The 119-year-old company closed about a third of its stores. In December, the company was bought out of bankruptcy by mall owners Simon Property Group and Brookfield Asset Management.
Souplantation and Sweet Tomatoes: The all-you-can-eat buffet-style restaurant chain announced the closure of all of its 97 U.S. restaurants and liquidated its assets.
Tuesday Morning: The Dallas-based discount home goods retailer filed for bankruptcy in the spring and permanently closed approximately 230 of its nearly 700 U.S. stores.
June
GNC: The 85-year-old vitamin and dietary supplement company filed for bankruptcy in June and closed about 1,200 stores. GNC is now being sold to a Chinese pharmaceutical company.
CEC Entertainment: The parent company of Chuck E. Cheese’s and Peter Piper Pizza filed for bankruptcy in June.
July
NPC International: The country’s second-largest franchisee — operating 1,200 Pizza Hut and 400 Wendy’s restaurants throughout the U.S. — filed for bankruptcy in July and announced that up to 300 of its Pizza Hut locations would close.
Brooks Brothers: The 200-year-old menswear retailer filed for bankruptcy in July and was bought by Simon Property Group in September.
Sur La Table: The 50-year-old privately held retailer of upscale kitchenware filed for bankruptcy and closed about half of its 120 U.S. stores. In August, it was sold for $90 million to an investment firm.
Muji USA: The U.S. arm of the Japanese retailer of goods from stationery to household items entered bankruptcy and closed a “small number” of its locations.
Lucky Brand: The denim company filed for bankruptcy and announced it was immediately closing 13 of its roughly 200 North American stores. In August, it sold itself to SPARC Group, the owner of Nautica and Aéropostale.
RTW Retailwinds: The owner of women’s retailer New York & Co. filed for bankruptcy in mid-July and closed hundreds of its locations.
Ascena Retail Group: The owner of such women’s clothing stores as Ann Taylor, LOFT and Lane Bryant filed for bankruptcy and closed hundreds of its stores, including all of its Catherines locations, which numbered about 300. The group is selling itself to a private equity firm.
California Pizza Kitchen: The 35-year-old pizza chain filed for bankruptcy and closed several unprofitable locations. It emerged from bankruptcy in mid-November.
August
Lord & Taylor: The upscale retailer, which was acquired in 2019 for $75 million, filed for bankruptcy and announced it was ending a nearly 200-year run with the closure of all of its stores.
Tailored Brands: The brand owner of Men’s Wearhouse and Jos. A. Bank filed for bankruptcy after previously announcing it was closing a third of its stores and cutting 20% of corporate positions. It emerged from bankruptcy in December.
Stein Mart: The 112-year-old retailer filed for bankruptcy and closed its 300 U.S. stores. An investment firm bought the brand in December with plans to relaunch online.
September
Century 21: The 60-year-old discount retailer, popular in New York, closed its remaining 13 locations.
Sizzler USA: One of the first casual restaurant chains in the U.S., the 62-year-old Sizzler filed for bankruptcy and is attempting to reduce debt and renegotiate its leases.
October
Ruby Tuesday: The privately held restaurant chain filed for bankruptcy and over the past few years, has closed about 200 locations.
November
Friendly’s: The East Coast restaurant chain, which was founded in 1935, filed for bankruptcy for the second time in less than 10 years, during which it has closed about 270 of its original 400 locations.
Guitar Center: The 61-year-old musical instrument retailer, the largest in the country, filed for bankruptcy.
December
Francesca’s: The woman’s boutique chain filed for bankruptcy and announced the closure of about a quarter of its 700 stores.
