US Retailers On Pace For 8,228 Store Closures in 2026

Coresight Research has released its midyear report detailing U.S. retail store openings and closings through July 3, 2026. The data indicates a projected decrease in both store openings and closures for 2026 compared to 2025, although store closures are still expected to number in the thousands. Retailers are demonstrating more selectivity in their expansion strategies.

Coresight estimates that U.S. retail is on pace for as many as 8,228 store closures in 2026. This figure represents a reduction from the 9,197 store closures recorded in 2025. The market research firm bases its estimates on various metrics, including official announcements from retailers and its proprietary "store intelligence" tracking platform, which monitors store counts at regular intervals. In the first half of 2026, Coresight tracked 3,321 store closures, both actual and planned. This number signifies a substantial 44.1% decrease when compared to the 5,941 closures tracked during the same period in 2025. Retailers anticipated to have the highest number of closures this year include 7-Eleven, GameStop, Francesca’s, Eddie Bauer, and Walgreens.

Regarding store openings, the first half of 2026 saw 3,215 tracked openings. This count is 23% lower than the midyear figure of 4,176 openings in 2025. Coresight projects that U.S. retail will see approximately 4,482 store openings in total for 2026. Among those planning expansions, Dollar General has 442 openings scheduled, and Dollar Tree intends to open 381 stores, according to Coresight's data. Other retailers, such as Burlington Stores and TJX Companies, the parent company of TJ Maxx, are also expanding their physical footprints. This expansion by off-price retailers highlights a sustained demand for discounted branded clothing and accessories as consumer shopping habits evolve.

Analyzing store closures by sector, apparel, which encompasses clothing, footwear, and accessories, recorded the highest number of U.S. store closures as of midyear 2026, with 1,090 closures. This represents a 9.1% increase from the 999 closures observed in the comparable period of the previous year. Convenience stores experienced 675 closures, marking a 35.8% increase from 497 closures in the prior year. Electronics retailers saw 475 store closures. Collectively, these three sectors account for a significant portion of the overall retail store closures reported in the first half of 2026.