This year was rough for retail stores and restaurants. We lost some huge players, including Joann, Rite Aid, and Big Lots. Considering the companies that have already announced closures in 2026, next year is shaping up to be just as brutal. Here are the stores and restaurants that are planning to close locations in the coming year.
Carter’s
Carter’s, a children’s clothing store, announced in October 2025 that it plans to close 150 locations. It cited President Trump’s tariffs and the uncertainty around them as reasons for the closures. “The Administration has implemented significant new tariffs on products imported into the United States from a wide range of countries,” a press release read. “These additional tariffs have begun to add substantially to the approximately $110 million in duties on imported product paid by the Company.”
A total of 100 Carter’s locations will close by the end of 2026, and some have already closed by the end of 2025. Another 50 stores will be closing in 2027.
Yankee Candle
Yankee Candle’s parent company, Newell Brands, announced in December 2025 that it will close about 20 stores in the U.S. and Canada in 2026 as well as lay off about 900 corporate employees. The company’s sales declined in 2025, and largely blamed tariffs for the troubles. The Yankee Candle stores will close in January after the busy holiday shopping season. No confirmed list of locations on the chopping block has been released yet.
Red Robin
Sit-down burger chain Red Robin has had enough money woes this year to announce a long-term turnaround plan. That includes closing about 70 underperforming restaurants, or 14% of its locations. Though the company is planning to close the locations over the next five years, it’s probably a good bet that some will be closing in 2026, as bottomless steak fries don’t seem to be attracting enough customers.
Macy’s
Back in 2024, Macy’s announced a plan to turn the company around amid department stores and malls dying out. The plan, like most of these revitalization plans, included closing 150 Macy’s locations that did not have good sales numbers. About 50 stores closed that year, with about 66 more announced in 2025. Presumably, more closures are planned for 2026.
Saks Off 5th
Saks Off 5th, the discount store associated with Saks Fifth Avenue, announced in late 2025 that it would be closing stores in 2026. Nine locations are on the chopping block, out of about 100 stores nationwide. The closures are set to begin in January. They will enable the company “to place greater attention to our high-performing and high-potential store locations, and refinements across our store footprint,” according to USA Today.
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Walgreens
Drug stores have been struggling since the COVID-19 pandemic. Walgreens announced in 2024 that it had plans to close 1,200 locations as it struggles with competition from online retailers and shrinking profits from prescription drugs. At the time, it said about a quarter of its stores were unprofitable. Many locations have already closed, and more will be on the way in 2026 as part of the company’s three-year plan.
REI
Popular co-op outdoor and fitness store REI announced a few months ago that it will be closing three locations. After a pandemic-era boom in sales, the company is no longer performing well thanks to factors like inflation and tightening wallets. A store in Paramus, New Jersey, will close in the first quarter of 2026, and stores in Boston and New York City will close later in the year.
Wendy’s
Many fast-food chains aren’t faring well, including Wendy’s. The chain announced about two months ago that it will be closing hundreds of “consistently underperforming” locations by the end of 2026. While there still isn’t a confirmed list or number of closures, based on the math announced at the time, it seems the plans are to close around 300 Wendy’s locations. Near the end of 2024, the chain also announced that around 140 restaurants were soon closing.
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Jack in the Box
Jack in the Box, a fast-food chain known for its late night, munchies-fueled offerings, is in the midst of closing hundreds of restaurants. About 200 closures are planned, and 80 to 120 of them are happening before the end of 2025. The rest will happen in 2026, leaving the chain with under 2,000 locations in the U.S. Like other fast-food chains, sales are down and the company isn’t profitable enough for investors.
Noodles and Company
In August, fast-casual chain Noodles and Company announced that it would be closing about 50 locations — about 30 of them before the end of 2025 and the remaining 20 in 2026. The locations are all company-owned, as opposed to franchised restaurants. While sales were up slightly at the time of the announcement, it was because of price increases across the menu, leading to lower traffic.
Orvis
Outdoor retailer Orvis will be closing 31 stores and five outlet locations by early 2026. Considering the chain had about 70 locations at the time of the announcement, that’s a large chunk of its stores. The company cited the “unprecedented tariff landscape” as the main reason for its closures. The chain also plans to reduce the amount of items it sells, focusing on its fly fishing and wingshooting equipment.
