Remember that sensation? Floating by someplace you went every day. Perhaps you made a memorable purchase there one day. Perhaps you just hung out with friends. And now it isn’t there. It’s boarded up, replaced, or just an empty lot. It does affect you sort of in a strange manner. A bit sad. A bit nostalgic. It makes us all realize that everything does come to an end eventually.
The restaurant and retail industries have been in a rollercoaster each year. Some of the familiar names that we once knew are under threat. Some of them close dozens or even hundreds of stores or become bankrupt. Either for economic change or consumer pattern, the outcome remains the same the familiar places that are near us vanish. We’ve rounded up recent news, nostalgic call-backs, and the latest headlines. Here’s a look at major stores and restaurants that are closing or already have. Get ready for a trip down retail memory lane.
Kroger Stores
The largest US chain grocery retailer, Kroger, has announced closing nearly 60 stores, or 5% of its total presence. The company announced it’s a strategic move in an effort to refocus and create other channels. As much as it’s a business decision, everyone’s clear concern is about workers.
There are roughly 15,000 hour workers in Michigan alone the overwhelming majority under UFCW Local 951. None of the Michigan stores have been included on the initial list, though Kroger says only a fourth of the closings are anticipated.
Some of the listed stores to close are found in Atlanta, GA; Peoria, IL; South Bend, IN; Louisville, KY; Kingsport, TN; McKinney, TX; Charlottesville, VA; and Gassaway, WV. A few more Georgia, Indiana, Virginia, and Texas locations have been added.
Torrid
Torrid Fashion, an up-and-coming fashion chain, has been said to have “massive” closures. While details are scarce, the use of the word “massive” means this will be a big number of stores.
This is catching on among brand enthusiasts and consumers who had depended on in-store shopping. It’s an eye-opener that even the niche players will not be spared by today’s retail scenario. We’ll closely monitor what outlets are impacted.
IHOP Franchisee Restaurants
Not just stores restaurants are starting to feel the pinch too. One of the biggest IHOP franchise operators has recently filed for bankruptcy. This will have no effect on the parent company itself, but as there are so many stores this franchisee operates, the effect can be massive.
Although no closings have officially been announced, bankruptcy filings typically result in restructuring that can include closing underperforming units. The neighborhoods that depend on the restaurants might be impacted.
On The Border Mexican Grill And Cantina
On The Border Mexican Grill and Cantina, another chain restaurant chain, also filed for bankruptcy. At least two New York stores have officially been shut down since the announcement.
The shut-downs anger loyal customers and employees alike. They are also a reminder of how much worse matters are becoming in the casual dining industry.
Burger King Franchisee Sites
Consolidated Burger Holdings, 57-unit Burger King franchisee, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The bankruptcy followed nearly 20 store closings and after two straight years in the red.
Luckily, this franchisee has restaurants in Florida and Georgia only, and the rest are not affected. The company will only open restaurants during bankruptcy and will be selling them to other proprietors. Burger King, on the other hand, is investing in renovating hundreds of stores across the country.
Joann
Joann, previously known as Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores, said it is closing all of its approximately 800 stores. The company, which opened in 1943, sought bankruptcy in March 2024 its second attempt in a little more than a year.
The company originally was approved to close 533 stores. But it later revised to close all of its stores. Interim CEO indicated they have “significant and long-standing challenges” which encompass financial woes and stock issues. Among the stores closing are Aurora, Boulder, and Denver in Colorado and several Idaho cities. Gift cards expire on Feb. 28.
Bed Bath & Beyond
A household staple once a destination for household items, Bed Bath & Beyond has also gone bankrupt. From dorm room supplies to weddings, it catered to a wide slice of shoppers. Its decline was agonizing to see and went on for years. Its collapse is representative of bigger changes in the way people shop for household products these days. For a lot of the longtime stalwarts, it’s a huge hole.
Tuesday Morning
Tuesday Morning, a home decor and gift store with discounted prices, closed all of its stores recently after it closed up shop. It’s another blow for those who visited its stores looking for bargains on specialty products. And another reminder of tight times many retailers are currently experiencing.
Woolco
Traveling through the past Woolco was once the anchor of a mall. A legacy of Woolworths, Woolco was an integral part of the mall culture of America.
It carried an astonishingly broad range of merchandise, like the big-box stores today. Although smaller in area, it was the anchor store for most malls and consumer draw. Though now extinct, Woolco holds a unique position in the history of retailing.
Bacon’s
Bacon’s was the other neighborhood department store that had a dedicated clientele. It was famous for its extensive coverage and spotlights such as a big and tall men’s department that was plentiful to the point of generosity.
It occupied the west corner of Towne Square Mall for decades until it closed. Like other neighborhood anchors, it was driven out by newer chains but not without establishing a lasting legacy.
Lazarus
Bacon then left Towne Square Mall, and Lazarus took its place as an anchor. It later moved to a new store thereafter, Wesleyan Park Plaza. The relocation shows how department stores underwent renovations in order to fit changing retail trends.
To many, Lazarus was more than a store. It was part of family rituals such as holiday shopping made possible by a store charge card during economic hard times. Such moments are a manifestation of the emotional bonding people had with neighborhood department stores.
Sears
And Sears. A family name years ago, it sold everything from hardware and appliances to most wistfully, toys. Sears was holiday shopping. Its Christmas “Wish Book” came out each year and was one that children everywhere in the country looked forward to. It manufactured toys as well, each with its own personality.
Your town may have had one or your city, but Sears was something else a part of an entire generation’s youth. Consider all these names those that shut down recently or years back, reminding us of how much the world around us shifts. The restaurants and stores where we shop and eat aren’t fixed. They change, suffer, and some disappear.
It’s time to give thanks to stores still with us today and remember those who paved the way for our past. This is more than a roll call of stores that have closed their doors. This is a stroll through our collective retail past.
