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(NEXSTAR) – The year 2025 marked another challenging period for traditional retail outlets, as notable names like Joann Fabrics, Party City, and Rite Aid closed their doors.
Despite the fact that 2026 has yet to begin, several prominent retailers and restaurants are already preparing to either reduce their number of locations or fully exit the market in the coming year. Spanning sectors from baby apparel to groceries and fast food, these national chains have outlined their downsizing strategies or complete shutdowns.
Here’s a look at the anticipated closures for 2026.
Carter’s

In the third quarter of 2025, Carter’s, known for its baby and children’s clothing, announced its intention to close approximately 150 stores over the next three years. Around 100 of these closures are slated for 2025 and 2026, with the remaining 50 set to close by 2028.
The company cited tariffs as a significant factor affecting their business, leading to the decision to scale back operations.
“The [Trump] Administration has implemented significant new tariffs on products imported into the United States from a wide range of countries,” Carter’s said in a press release. “These additional tariffs have begun to add substantially to the approximately $110 million in duties on imported products paid by the Company in fiscal 2024.”
As of December 2025, Carter’s had 776 U.S. locations listed on its site.
Foot Locker

Dick’s Sporting Goods, which acquired Foot Locker in 2025, said it would be closing some of the shoe stores in 2026.
Ed Stack, executive chairman at Dick’s, said the company would be “taking decisive actions to ‘clean out the garage’ by clearing unproductive inventory, closing underperforming stores and laying the foundation for a fresh start in 2026.”
It wasn’t clear how many stores would shutter and how many would remain open over the next year. Before the acquisition, Foot Locker had previously indicated that 400 stores would close between 2023 and 2026.
Kroger

Grocery giant Kroger announced earlier this year an 18-month plan to cut about 60 of its more than 2,700 stores. Interim CEO Ron Sargent didn’t specify which locations would close, but said they were spread across the country.
Macy’s

Closures continue for department store Macy’s, which is in the process of closing 150 stores by the end of 2026. The move was announced in 2024 as part of its “Bold New Chapter” strategy focusing on closing “underproductive” stores while investing in “its “go-forward” locations.
Macy’s owns the Bloomingdale’s and Bluemercury brands, which it described as “outperformers” in 2024.
Red Robin

Fast casual burger chain Red Robin is in the midst of major change. In March, it said it was considering closing 70 “underperforming restaurants.” Months later, however, the company said improvements in sales allowed them to cut the list of pending closures down to 50.
The closures are set to take place by 2030, according to Restaurant Business Magazine.
REI

REI said it will be closing three locations, including its flagship store in New York, in 2026. The New York City and Boston stores will close in late 2026, but the location in Paramus, New Jersey, will close early in the year.
“As markets and customer needs evolve, we must adapt to position the co-op for long-term success. We will continue serving members and customers at these locations until closing,” a spokesperson for REI told Nexstar’s WPIX.
Walgreens

Walgreens is in the process of closing about 1,200 locations around the U.S. as part of a three-year plan that kicked off in October 2024.
The pharmacy chain and others like it have announced rolling closures over the past several years, citing issues with theft and a shift toward more online shopping.
Walgreens didn’t release a full list of all stores that would close, but said it would start with poor-performing stores with leases that are expiring, or where the company owns the property location.
Wendy’s

Wendy’s interim CEO, Ken Cook, said in November the fast food chain was considering closing between 150 and 300 locations by the end of 2026.
“When we look at the system today, we have some restaurants that do not elevate the brand and are a drag from a franchisee financial performance perspective,” Cook said. “The goal is to address and fix those restaurants.”
In some cases, the company would be working with franchisees to improve operations, Cook said, but in other cases, they planned to close restaurants.