Retailers You Won’t Be Seeing In Illinois In 2019

ILLINOIS — The beloved chain Toys R Us was likely the most high-profile retail closure in 2018, but it’s one of just many stores that you won’t be seeing in 2019.

According to Coresight Research, U.S. retailers have announced 5,436 store closures in 2018, as of Dec. 19. Coresight’s research shows that the number of store closures in 2018 is far lower than the closures in 2017. In 2017, there were 8,139 store closures and 4,231 openings, according to Coresight.

We’ve compiled a list of major store closures announced in 2018. Stores may have already closed or will shutter in 2019.

Toys R Us

After much speculation about the company’s future, Toys R Us announced in March 2018 that it would be shutting down its operations in the U.S., closing 735 stores. The iconic toy store closed all of its U.S. locations over the summer, including 31 stores and one distribution center in Illinois.

Sears

The Illinois-based company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in October, announcing the closure of 142 unprofitable locations nationwide and four in Illinois. The 142 stores slated for closure when Sears filed for bankruptcy aren’t the only Sears/Kmart locations the company is shuttering. At least 46 locations were already set to close by the end of November. Yet another round of closings announced by the company in November included 40 stores set to close in February 2019, according to USA Today. Two more Sears/Kmart locations in Illinois are included in the latest round of closures.

Mattress Firm

The Houston-based retailer filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in October. When filing for bankruptcy, the company said it planned to close 200 stores in the immediate future and in total planned for up to 700 closures. In November, the company said it was moving forward with an optimized store footprint of approximately 2,600 stores. In Illinois, around 30 Mattress Firm locations were affected.

Brookstone

Brookstone also filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2018. The company said it was hiring liquidators to close its roughly 100 remaining mall locations. Brookstone said it hopes to keep open 35 remaining airport stores.

Lowe’s

Lowe’s announced in November that it planned on closing 20 stores by the end of February. Two stores in Illinois were impacted by the closures.

Bon-Ton Stores

The Wisconsin company, which operated department stores under names like Bergner’s, Carson’s and Boston Store, closed all of its stores in 2018. There were seven Carson's stores in Illinois that closed in 2018. One shuttered Illinois Carson's store did get new life, reopening on Black Friday.

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