The unprecedented implosion of U.S. commercial real estate during the coronavirus pandemic is likely to get worse
Many retail shops are heavily indebted, some have already declared bankruptcy, while others are quickly shrinking their operating size, by reducing store footprint to rein in cost as the virus-induced recession, blended with a plunge in consumption, along with a shift to online, is resulting in a rapid acceleration of the retail apocalypse.
Coresight Research's latest forecast has upwards of 25,000 retail stores could close by year end.
Forbes has released an updated list of confirmed store closures. So far, it looks like 8,708 store units have or will shutter operations this year, and could quickly surpass 2019 totals of 9,302, in a matter of months.
Forbes' Store Closure List In 2020
Chuck E Cheese: 54 U.S. stores (bankruptcy)
Destination Maternity: 90 stores (bankruptcy)
GNC: 1,200 stores (bankruptcy) <--NAH DON’T TAKE VITAMINS JUST WEAR YOUR MUZZLE
Modell's Sporting Goods: 153 stores (bankruptcy) <--GET FAT. YOUR GYM IS CLOSED NOW ANYHOW RIGHT?
Olympia Sports: 76 stores
Papyrus: 254 stores (bankruptcy)
Pier 1 Imports : 936 stores (bankruptcy) <--BACK TO BASKET WEAVING CLASS!
Signet Jewelers: 232 stores <-- WANT BLING? TOO BAD!
Stage Stores: 738 stores (liquidating)
Tuesday Morning: 230 stores (bankruptcy)
AC Moore: 145 stores <--TO HELL WITH YOUR ART PROJECT!
Art Van Furniture: 190 stores
AT&T: 250 stores
Bath & Body Works: 50 stores<-- OH I BET THESE TWO ARE GOING TO HURT LADIES! Bed Bath & Beyond: 44 stores <--
Bose: 11 stores
Chico: 100 stores (estimated)
Children's Place: 200 stores <-- NO MORE TOYS KIDS! (ALL NON-ESSENTIAL)
Christopher Banks: 30-40 stores
CVS Pharmacy: 22 stores <-- UNTIL THEY START PUSHING $1000 VACCINES RIGHT?
Earth Fare: 50 stores
Express: 66 stories
Forever 21: 15 stores (estimated)
GameStop GME: 320 stores <-- WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO IN QUARANTINE NOW GAME-BOYS?
Hallmark: 16 stores <--END OF YOUR XMAS CARD LIST!
Look at all the big department stores!
- Lord & Taylor: 30 or 40 stores
- Nordstrom: 16 stores
- Macy's : 125 stores (over 3 years)GE
- Bloomingdale's: 1 store
- Neiman Marcus (Last Call): 20 stores (bankruptcy)
- JCPenney JCP: 154 stores (bankruptcy)
- K-Mart: 45 stores (bankruptcy)
- New York & Co: 27 stores
- J. Crew: 54 stores (bankruptcy)
- Wilson Leather & G.H. Bass: 199 stores
- Sears: 51 stores (bankruptcy)
- Gap: 230 stores <-- HOPE YOU GOT ENOUGH BLUE JEANS.
- Guess: 100 stores
Lucky Market: 32 stores
Microsoft: 77 stores <--BECAUSE BILL HAS A NEW JOB NOW.
Office Depot: 90 stores , <--FORGET OFFICE SUPPLIES YOUR OUT OF A JOB NOW ANYHOW!
Party City: 21 stores <--NO CELEBRATING UNDER LOCKDOWN!
Starbucks SBUX: 400 stores (over 18 months) <--THINK YOU WITHOUT YOUR MORNING JOE!
Victoria's Secret: 250 stores <--NO MORE FANCY UNDIES GIRLS!
Walgreen: 100 stores (estimated)
Walmart: 2 stores <--TWO! ROFL… BIG DEAL! ITS LIKE THEY JUST DON'T WANT TO BE LEFT OUT.
Zara: 1,000 stores worldwide (over 2 years)
With thousands of retail stores closing and the economy contracting, the next conversation Wall Street will have is about deep economic scarring and permanent job loss.
Already, 3 million jobs have been eliminated from the economy, some of which have come from the closure of retail stores.
The bad news about permanent job loss is that it's a consumption killer, resulting in less spending at retailers, suggesting an even greater amount of store closures beyond anyone's wild guess could be seen over the next 12-24 months.
WHEN THERE IS NO PLACE TO GET ANYTHING
EXCEPT AMAZON
AND YOU ARE STUCK IN YOUR SOLITARY QUARANTINE CONFINEMENT CELL
THEY WILL CALL SHOPPING A PRIVILEGE
AND CUT OFF YOUR ACCESS TO IT
AT THE FIRST SIGN OF DISSENT,
OR ON ANY WHIM,
TO ENSURE YOUR
ENSLAVEMENT!