Over the past few years, many retail chains have been struggling to keep their doors open. This pressure has increased over the past few months and weeks. Many of the well-known retailers found it difficult to remain operational due to several reasons. Some of these reasons include the pressure that came due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the current state of the economy, and the continuous increase in tariffs.
Details about this new wave of store closures
Several retail chains have announced closures for September. This is at a time when the larger industry faces inflation and changes in the behaviour of consumers. Some of the stores that closed during the month of September included multiple Kroger and At Home locations across the country.
It is safe to say that, since the coronavirus pandemic, the retail industry has faced widespread disruption. This is evident through how many consumers chose to do online shopping over brick-and-mortar stores. It is also evident by how many retail chains have been struggling to remain active in the market. According to research from a real estate services firm called Green Street Advisors, almost 25 percent of America’s biggest shopping malls are expected to close by 2027.
The retail chains’ closures and locations
At Home: It has been made known that the At Home store, which is a Dallas-based home goods retailer, has been closing stores in 12 states at the end of September. Although the chain has operated in more than 250 stores nationwide, the total of store units will dwindle by 26 stores as it closes its “underperforming stores” in various states. Also, At Home previously filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy because the company struggled with $2 billion in debt.
Below is a list of the At Home retail chains that have been closed down and that will still be closing down:
- 750 Newhall Drive in San Jose, California
- 2505 El Camino Real in Tustin, California
- 2200 Harbor Boulevard in Costa Mesa, California
- 3795 E. Foothills Boulevard in Pasadena, California
- 1982 E. 20th St. in Chico, California
- 26532 Towne Center Drive, Suites A-B, in Foothill Ranch, California
- 8320 Delta Shores Circle South in Sacramento, California
- 2900 N. Bellflower Boulevard in Long Beach, California
- 14585 Biscayne Boulevard in North Miami, Florida
- 5203 W. War Memorial Drive in Peoria, Illinois
- 13180 S. Cicero Ave. in Crestwood, Illinois
- 571 Boston Turnpike in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts
- 300 Providence Highway in Dedham, Massachusetts
- 2820 Highway 63 South in Rochester, Minnesota
- 905 S 24th St. West in Billings, Montana
- 1361 NJ-35 in Middletown Township, New Jersey
- 461 Route 10 East in Ledgewood, New Jersey
- 301 Nassau Park Boulevard in Princeton, New Jersey
- 6135 Junction Boulevard in Rego Park, New York
- 300 Baychester Ave. in Bronx, New York
- 720 Clairton Boulevard in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- 19460 Compass Creek Parkway in Leesburg, Virginia
- 8300 Sudley Road in Manassas, Virginia
- 2530 Rudkin Road in Yakima, Washington
- 1001 E. Sunset Drive in Bellingham, Washington
- 3201 N. Mayfair Road in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin
Kroger: When it comes to Kroger, two of its retail chains were expected to close on September 19, 2025. This has been confirmed by the United Food & Commercial Workers. The affected locations for the Kroger chains are:
- 466 South Cummings Street, Abingdon, Virginia and
- 1664 East Stone Drive, Kingsport, Tennessee.
A statement has been made by the United Food & Commercial Workers Local 400 Union President Mark Federici. He stated that these communities at the aforementioned locations, will suffer as a direct result of Kroger prioritizing Wall Street investors over their consumers and hard-working employees.
Claire’s: One of the fashion and jewellery retail chains, Claire’s, also filed for bankruptcy in August. This actually highlighted the company’s second bankruptcy filing since 2018. This chain is $690 million in debt as competition within the retail industry remains strong. Therefore, so many retail chains are forced to close their doors for good.
The public’s opinion
Alex Beene, a financial literacy instructor for the University of Tennessee at Martin, made a statement. In this statement it was stated that “When it comes to retail, 2025 has become the year of efficiency, as many companies are taking a hard look at the bottom line and what stores are underperforming and how to solve that issue. “
Another statement has been issued, and this one is from Drew Powers, the founder of Illinois-based Powers Financial Group. This statement indicated that “Consolidation in the retail sector is not a good thing for consumers. Coupled with recent inflation, a lack of competition and possibly higher prices will truly hurt shoppers.”