At the start of 2014, news of store closings by the largest U.S. retail industry chains accelerated not because the U.S. retail industry as a whole is in crisis, but because certain retail chains, in particular, have found it difficult or impossible to compete in a fast-moving, ultra-competitive global retailing environment. The roundup of retailers closing underperforming locations or going bankrupt in 2014 is small compared to the past, but it is not insignificant to the future of U.S. retailing.

Many experts believe that 2014 retail store closings are still due in large part to the overgrowth of the U.S. retail industry even before the U.S. Great Recession occurred. According to the 2007 Economic Census, there were 1,122,703 retail establishments in the United States and a total of 14.2 billion square feet of retail space. That means that there are approximately 46.6 square feet of retail space per capita in the U.S., compared to two square feet per capita in India, 1.5 square feet per capita in Mexico, 23 square feet per capita in the United Kingdom, 13 square feet per capita in Canada, and 6.5 square feet per capita in Australia.<br/>With the explosive growth of Internet and mobile shopping, the oversaturation of physical retail locations operated by the largest U.S. retail chains becomes even more obvious. Downsizing the size of physical retail stores and the number of retail stores is a significant trend in U.S. retailing and it is a trend that will undoubtedly continue throughout 2014 and beyond.

U.S. consumers are, in a sense, in charge of physical store closings. With their online and mobile shopping behaviors, U.S. consumers are casting their vote for which retail store experiences have value and which ones can be easily replaced by their own Internet and mobile counterparts. In response to these strong consumer preference shifts, many large, medium, and small retail chains will be closing physical retail store locations in 2014 because they can't justify the dwindling sales per square footage results they produce. The era of if-you-build-it-they-will-come retailing seems to have ended for the U.S. retail industry.

What follows is a complete, updated, and ongoing list of U.S. retail chains that are closing underperforming retail locations, downsizing, or going out of business in the 2014 calendar year.

See also:

What follows is a complete roundup of U.S. retail chains that are closing underperforming stores, downsizing, filing bankruptcy, or going out of business in the 2014 calendar year. Information for this 2014 Store Closing List was obtained from reports made available to the general public through news reports, corporate documents, and company press releases.

This 2014 U.S. Retail Store Closings list is arranged numerically according to the number of store closings. The number in the left column is the total number of stores that have been designated for closing in 2014. This list will be updated continuously throughout 2014 as more information about U.S. retail chain store closings domestically and internationally becomes available The latest additions are indicated with bold lettering. This list was last updated on December 12, 2014.

Complete List of U.S. Retailers Closing Stores, Going, Bankrupt, and Going Out of Business in 2014:

400 Office Depot/Max (by 2016)

370 Family Dollar

365 Coldwater Creek (bankruptcy)

360 Dots (bankruptcy)

339 Sears

300 Blockbuster (bankruptcy)

170 Staples

223 Barnes & Noble (through 2023)

200 Radio Shack (through 2017)

198 ALCO (bankruptcy)

180 Abercrombie & Fitch (by 2015)

175 Aeropostale (“over the next several years”)

170 Jones Group (by mid-2014 )

155 Sbarro

150 American Eagle Outfitters (through 2017)

150 Kmart

150 Office Depot (2014)

150 Rent-A-Center

145 Brown Shoes / Famous Footwear

128 GameStop

125 Children’s Place

125 P.S. from Aeropostale

100 Advance Auto

100 Crocs

91 Blockbuster (UK)

80 Wolverine World Wide (2015 - Strike Rite & Keds)

75 Aeropostale

70 Gamestop (Spain)

76 EE

76 Walgreens

75 7-Eleven

74 McDonald's (Japan)

73 Liquidation World (Big Lots Canada)

70 Coach (fiscal 2015)

70 Juicy Couture

65 Fastenal

63 Build-A-Bear (through 2014)

63 Pep Boys (“in the coming years”)

60 Aaron's

60 Crumbs Bake Shop

60 Wolverine World Wide (Stride Rite and Keds)

56 Naartjie Kids

55 Sprint

55 Staples (2015)

54 Destination Maternity

54 Golf Galaxy (by 2016)

50 Express (through 2015)

50 Guess (through 2015)

50 Kitchen Collection

48 Wet Seal

42 Edwin Watts Golf

42 Fresh & Green's

39 Loehman's

35 Sears Auto Centers

33 Archiver's

33 JCPenney

26 Albertson's

26 Wet Seal

25 Build-A-Bear (through 2015)

25 Papa John’s

25 Yankee One Dollar Stores

23 Winn-Dixie

22 Homemade Pizza Co.

20 Barnes & Noble

20 Delhaize

20 Gilly Hicks

20 Pick ’n Save (by 2017)

20 SONY

17 Cato

17 Christopher & Banks

16 2b (bebe)

15 Office Depot

13 Mill Stores Furniture Outlet

12 Peet’s Coffee & Tea

12 Target

11 American TV & Appliance

10 Ann Taylor

10 Rite Aid

9 Rainbow’s Supermarkets

8 Long John Silver's

8 Seattle's Best Coffee

7 Noni B

7 OfficeMax

6 Arby’s

6 Cord Camera

6 Denny’s

6 Honk’s $1.00

5 Bi-Lo

5 Macy's

5 Mattress Source

4 Jack in the Box

4 Len Druskin

4 Meat House

4 Sprint Gas Stations

3 Ace Hardware

3 ACO Hardware

3 Books-A-Million

3 Carls Furniture

3 Champps Americana

3 Shoe Carnival

3 Williams-Sonoma

2 Arden B

2 Best Buy

2 Book World

2 Design Spree

2 Dickey’s Barbecue Pit

2 Dillons Grocery Stores

2 Finger Furniture

2 Finish Line

2 Fresh Pride

2 Gediman’s

2 Haverty’s

2 JMR Chalk Garden

2 Kroger

2 Lolabella Boutique

2 My Favorite Toy Store

2 Nordstrom

2 P2 by Pink Pump

2 Pappoule’s Greek Restaurant

2 Piggly Wiggly

2 Powell’s Books

2 Rainbow Foods

2 Safeway

2 Savers Thrift Store

2 Weis Markets

Walmart, JCPenney, Toys 'R Us, and Sears are just a few of the largest U.S. retail chains that have announced intentions to close underperforming physical retail stores in the U.S. and around the world in the 2014 calendar year. What follows here is a continuation of the Complete List of 2014 U.S. Retail Store Closings. This list is arranged according to the number of store closings that are planned for 2014 by each retailer. Click the links to get more new and information about each retail chain.

Complete List of U.S. Retail Store Closings in 2014 (continued):

1 Abercrombie Kids

1 Aerie

1 Barnes & Noble College Bookstore

1 Bed Bath & Beyond

1 Bedroom Expressions

1 Belk

1 Big 5

1 Big Lots

1 Bon-Ton

1 Broyhill Home Collections

1 California Pizza Kitchen

1 Carter's

1 Cost Plus World Market

1 Denver Mattress

1 East of England Co-op

1 Eddie Bauer

1 Family Christian Stores

1 Food Lion

1 Food Fast Convenience Store

1 Graeter’s

1 Gulf

1 Haggen Food & Pharmacy

1 Hallmark

1 Hubbell & Hudson

1 Hush Puppies

1 JC's 5 Star Outlet

1 Life Is Good

1 Lids Locker Room

1 Old Navy

1 Risky Business

1 Sunoco

1 Tractor Supply Company

In 2014, as in every calendar year, U.S. retail industry leaders, investors, analysts, and experts look at U.S. retail industry downsizing and store closing roundup numbers for clues about the overall health of the U.S. economy. When U.S. based retail chains close domestic or international physical retail store locations, retail industry, and economic experts work to sort out whether the store closings are due to the failings of the individual retail chain and its leaders, or whether the store closings are a result of overall downturn in retail consumption that is likely to continue.

What follows is a complete list of U.S. retail store closings, and downsizings of the largest U.S. retail chains both domestically and internationally that are scheduled to happen in the 2014 calendar year. This list is arranged alphabetically, according to the name of the retail chain. The latest store closing additions are indicated with bold lettering.The store closings on this roundup list were last updated on December 12, 2014.

All 2014 U.S. Retail Industry Store Closings - Complete Alphabetized Company Listing of Store Closings:

16 2b (bebe)

75 7-Eleven

60 Aaron's

180 Abercrombie & Fitch (by 2015)

1 Abercrombie Kids

3 Ace Hardware

3 ACO Hardware

100 Advance Auto

1 Aerie

6 AG Supply

10 Ann Taylor

33 Archiver's

175 Aeropostale (“over the next several years”)

75 Aeropostale (2014)

26 Albertson's

198 ALCO (bankruptcy)

150 American Eagle Outfitters (through 2017)

11 American TV & Appliance

6 Arby's

2 Arden B

1 Babies ‘R Us

223 Barnes & Noble (through 2023)

1 Barnes & Noble College Bookstore

1 Bed, Bath & Beyond

1 Bedroom Expressions

1 Belk

1 Bella’s Market

2 Best Buy

1 Big 5

1 Big Lots

5 Bi-Lo

300 Blockbuster

91 Blockbuster (UK)

1 Bon-Ton

2 Book World

3 Books-A-Million

15 Bridgestone

145 Brown Shoes / Famous Footwear

1 Broyhill Home Collections

63 Build-A-Bear (through 2014)

25 Build-A-Bear (through 2015)

1 California Pizza Kitchen

3 Carl’s Furniture

1 Carter's

17 Cato

3 Champps Americana

125 Children’s Place

17 Christopher & Banks

70 Coach

365 Coldwater Creek

6 Cord Camera

1 Cost Plus World Market

100 Crocs

60 Crumbs Bake Shop

This is a complete list of the domestic and international store closings that are planned by the largest U.S.-based retail chains in the 2014 calendar year. Family Dollar, Big Lots, Walmart, and JC Penney are just some of the retail chains that have announced the intention to close underperforming and unprofitable stores both domestically and internationally in the 12 months of 2014. Get an overall view and compare the store closing plans of all the largest U.S. retail chains here.

This 2014 U.S. Domestic and International Store Closings list is arranged alphabetically, according to the name of the retail chain. The number in the left column indicates the total number of store closings that will happen in 2014, as confirmed by officials from each retail chain. This list will be updated frequently throughout 2014 as more store closing information and numbers are announced and confirmed. The latest additions to the Store Closing List are indicated with bold lettering.

All 2014 U.S. Retail Industry Store Closings - Complete Alphabetical Company Listing of Store Closings (continued):

20 Delhaize

6 Denny’s

2 Design Spree

54 Destination Maternity

2 Dickey’s Barbecue Pit

2 Dillons Grocery Stores

360 Dots

1 East of England Co-op

1 Eddie Bauer

42 Edwin Watts Golf

76 EE

50 Express (through 2017)

1 Family Christian Stores

370 Family Dollar

4 Family Fare

65 Fastenal

2 Finger Furniture

2 Finish Line

1 Food Fast Convenience Store

1 Food Lion

42 Fresh & Green's

4 Fresh Market

2 Fresh Pride

128 GameStop

70 Gamestop (Spain)

2 Gediman’s

20 Gilly Hicks

54 Golf Galaxy (by 2016)

2 Gourmet Heaven

1 Graeter’s

50 Guess (through 2015)

1 Gulf

1 Haggen Food & Pharmacy

1 Hallmark

2 Haverty’s

22 Homemade Pizza Co.

6 Honk’s $1.00

1 Hubbell & Hudson

1 Hubbell & Hudson

1 Hush Puppies

4 Jack in the Box

33 JCPenney

1 JC's 5 Star Outlet

2 JMR Chalk Garden

170 Jones Group (by mid-2014 )

70 Juicy Couture

1 Kim’s Video & Music

50 Kitchen Collection

150 Kmart

1 Knecht Home Center

2 Kroger

4 Len Druskin

1 Lids Locker Room

1 Life Is Good

73 Liquidation World (Big Lots Canada)

39 Loehman's

2 Lolabella Boutique

8 Long John Silver's

4 Lowe’s Foods

7 Macy's

5 Mattress Source

1 Max Club (Wal-Mart)

74 McDonald's (Japan)

4 McDonald’s (Moscow)

4 Meat House

13 Mill Stores Furniture Outlet

2 My Favorite Toy Store

56 Naartjie Kids

7 Noni B

2 Nordstrom

1 Oak Express

400 Office Depot/Max (by 2016)

150 Office Depot (2014)

1 Old Navy

2 P2 by Pink Pump

25 Papa John’s

2 Pappoule’s Greek Restaurant

12 Peet’s Coffee & Tea

63 Pep Boys (“in the coming years”)

20 Pick ’n Save (by 2017)

2 Piggly Wiggly

1 Pottery Barn

1 Pottery Barn Kids

2 Powell’s Books

8 Price Busters

125 P.S. from Aeropostale

200 Radio Shack (through 2017)

2 Rainbow Foods

9 Rainbow’s Supermarkets

1 Ralph's

150 Rent-A-Center

1 Risky Business

10 Rite Aid

1 Ross Dress For Less

2 Rustic Hutch

2 Safeway

2 Savers Thrift Store

155 Sbarro

339 Sears

35 Sears Auto Centers

8 Seattle's Best Coffee

1 Shaw’s

3 Shoe Carnival

1 Shopko

4 Sprint Gas Stations

3 Stein Mart

1 Stop & Shop

1 Sofa Mart

20 SONY

55 Sprint

170 Staples

55 Staples (2015)

1 Sunoco

1 Talbots Clearance Outlet

12 Target

2 Thomasville Home Furnishings

1 Tom Thumb (Safeway)

1 TOP Food & Pharmacy

1 Toys 'R Us

1 Tractor Supply Company

1 Tuesday Morning

1 Tumi

76 Walgreens

1 Wal-Mart

1 Wawa

2 Weis Markets

48 Wet Seal

1 WH Smith Books

3 Williams-Sonoma

23 Winn-Dixie

60 Wolverine World Wide (Stride Rite and Keds)

80 Wolverine World Wide (2015 - Strike Rite & Keds)

1 Yankee Candle