These MA Stores Are Closing In 2018 (Or Have Already Closed)

MASSACHUSETTS — In 2017, retailers in the United States announced plans to shutter close to 7,000 stores, a whopping 224 percent increase in announced store closures compared to 2016. The numbers were compiled by the think tank Fung Global Retail & Tech, which tracks store openings and closures in the U.S.

According to the numbers compiled by Fung Global, there have been 6,885 announced store closures in 2017 and 3,443 announced store openings. In 2016, there were 2,122 announced store closures in 2016 and 2,294 announced store openings.

"The retail industry and the retail landscape is changing, with the increasing willingness of the consumer to buy online these days that's the way the trend is going," said Bill Rennie of the Retailers Association of Massachusetts. "So there are certainly a lot of stores feeling that pressure. And that's what you're seeing."

Looking ahead to 2018, major retailers from various industries have already announced plans to close stores in the U.S. starting as early as January 2018.

Still, it's not all doom-and-gloom when it comes to smaller retail outfits in the state. The Retailers Association of Massachusetts is predicting a 3.1 percent gain in retail sales during the holiday season (often make-it-or-break-it for many businesses) over the same period in 2016.

“Massachusetts retailers are prepared for the 2017 holiday sales season, and they are optimistic that the
sales trends for the year to date will continue, albeit with tighter margins and profitability,” John Hurst, president of the association said recently in a press release.

As for 2018, retailers are adapting, Rennie told Patch. "Retailers are not going away they're just changing he said. "You're going to see more small businesses closer to the customer offering more experiences and they're going to survive on service. But they also will be looking to increase their online presence as well."

Patch has compiled a list of major retailers that have announced plans to close locations in 2018 or have already closed:

Macy's

Macy's announced in the summer of 2016 it would close 100 stores across the country. Two of the stores were revealed to be Massachusetts locations at the beginning of this year - one in Taunton and one in Brockton.

Sears

Sears Holdings announced in November that it would be closing another batch of stores 2018. As part of the closures, Sears said it informed associates at 45 Kmarts and 18 Sears that the stores would be closing in late January 2018. The Berkshire Mall Sears location was the only Massachusetts spot in the list. A Sears in Swansea and Kmart locations in Fairhaven, South Attleboro, Fitchburg, Springfield and Newburyport were among more than 100 closings nationwide in 2017.

J. Crew

The speciality retailer plans to close 39 stores by the end of January 2018, CNN Money reported. That amounts to about 6 percent of its total stores and is double the number of stores it previously planned on closing. Patch was unable to obtain a list of affected locations; there are several J Crew locations across Eastern Mass.

Teavana

Starbucks announced in July that it will close its close all of its nearly 400 Teavana stores. A judge this month ruled Starbucks can't close every location by the end of the year because it signed leases and could potentially hurt foot traffic in the malls it is in. Teavana is or was in Boston, Braintree, Burlington, Cambridge, Dedham, Holyoke, Hyannis, Marlborough, Natick, North Attleboro, and Peabody.

Gap

In September, Gap announced it would be closing approximately 200 "underperforming" Gap and Banana Republic stores in the near future. The list of stores to be closed has not yet been released.

Walgreens

Walgreens will close about 600 drugstores as it buys 1,932 stores from its competitor Rite Aid, the Associated Press reported. A company spokesman told the AP that the majority of closures will be Rite Aid and a vast majority of stores closing will be within a mile of another store in the Walgreens network. Walgreens did not say which locations would be closed but the closures will start next spring.

Gymboree

Gymboree Corporation closed 350 stores nationwide, including five in Massachusetts, after filing voluntary Chapter 11 petitions with the United States Bankruptcy Court earlier this year.

Bebe

The clothing store for young women closed all its stores, including its three Massachusetts locations.

• There were also more major Route 1 closures, including the iconic Ship and popular Sea Witch.

Watch Now: List Of Retailers Closing Stores In 2018

By Feroze Dhanoa, Patch National Staff and Patch Editors Mike Carraggi and Autumn Johnson

How's your community of businesses doing? Have an opinion on this? Send it to Jenna.Fisher@Patch.com

Photos by Jenna Fisher/Patch