1GNC
SOPA Images//Getty ImagesFounded in 1935 in Pittsburgh by David Shakarian, GNC grew through the decades as more Americans began to embrace the idea of good nutrition.
2GNC
Cindy Ord//Getty ImagesAfter several years of financial pressure, the pandemic crushed its refinancing plans. In June 2020, GNC filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, planning to close at least 800 to 1200 stores.
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3Pier 1 Imports
RiverNorthPhotography//Getty ImagesPier 1 Imports began as a single store in San Mateo, California in 1962. They sold the requisite 60s home decor including bean bag chairs and incense. The company expanded rapidly across the country, celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2012. But by April 2019, pressured by online sales of home goods retailers, Pier 1 already was in financial trouble and said it would close up to 15 percent of its almost 1000 stores.
4Pier 1 Imports
Sundry Photography//Getty ImagesIn February 2020, the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. It continued to close its remaining stores, transitioning to an online presence only by year's end.
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5Victoria's Secret
SOPA Images//Getty ImagesFounded in 1977, the company became the largest lingerie retailer in the U.S. for decades. The iconic fashion shows and "Angels" attracted a generation of devoted shoppers.
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6Victoria's Secret
NurPhoto//Getty ImagesPerhaps more at home time meant fewer women wanted lacy underthings and push up bras? Sales declined by 37 percent in the first quarter of 2020. By May, the company announced it would close approximately 250 stores out of its more than 1000 in the U.S., and it said it expected to close more through 2021 and 2022.
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7Bed Bath & Beyond
Bloomberg//Getty ImagesOwned by the same parent corporation as Victoria's Secret, Bed Bath & Beyond already had been battling the shift in consumer spending from brick-and-mortar stores to online shopping. Even their famous coupons couldn't help.
8Bed Bath & Beyond
Kevork Djansezian//Getty ImagesThe company's sales plummeted 49 percent in the first quarter, though online sales increase by 82 percent. Still, it wasn't enough to save the approximately 1,000 stores in the chain, and, in July 2020, the company announced that about 200 stores would close over the next two years.
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9Stein Mart
Joe Raedle//Getty ImagesThe company dates back to 1908, when the Stein family opened its first retail store in Greenville, Mississippi. The first Stein Mart opened in 1964, featuring mill closeouts and irregulars at big discounts. The company grew rapidly into the 1990s.
10Stein Mart
Joe Raedle//Getty ImagesStein Mart already was struggling against much larger off-price competitors such as TJ Maxx. By August 2020, they announced they would be closing all 279 stores across 30 states permanently.
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11JCPenney
Jeff Greenberg//Getty ImagesFounded by James Cash Penney in 1902 in Kemmerer, Wyoming, this venerable old company has seen plenty of internal struggles with multiple CEOs in the past decade. Once a popular middle-class destination for families, especially in the 80s, the chain had lost money in eight of the last nine years, totaling $4.5 billion.
12JCPenney
SOPA Images//Getty ImagesBy May 2020, the chain announced it was filing Chapter 11 bankruptcy and closing about 200 of its 850 stores permanently. By year's end, the company had emerged from bankruptcy as a private company.
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13Signet Jewelers (Kay, Zales, Jared)
Jeff Greenberg//Getty ImagesThe world's largest retailer of diamond jewelry, Signet Jewelry, is the parent company of Kay Jewelers, Zales and Jared The Galleria of Jewelry. The company operates more than 3,000 stores nationwide. But it had already reduced its number of stores in the last few years and continued to pull out of malls.
14Signet Jewelers
J. Michael Jones//Getty ImagesPlans to continue closing underperforming stores were accelerated during the pandemic. About 150 stores across the company's various brands were not re-opened after the mid-March closures, and at least 150 more stores were slated to close by February 2021. But a little good news: Signet focused on building its online shopping, which helped them increase online sales during the holidays by 60 percent.
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15Men's Wearhouse
Jorge Villalba//Getty ImagesMen's Wearhouse, part of the Tailored Brands, Inc. group, has been in business for 45 years, helping guys pick suits for interviews or tuxes for formal events.
16Men's Wearhouse
hapabapa//Getty ImagesYou're not the only one who's spent plenty of time in your athleisure this year. The company already was facing a more relaxed dress code in most business environments. But the work-from-home pandemic put additional financial pressure on the parent company, which also owns men's retailer Jos. A. Banks, which was founded in 1905. By August, Tailored Brands files bankruptcy and announced plans to close up to 500 of its almost 1500 retail stores permanently.
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17GameStop
Michael M. Santiago//Getty ImagesThe video game retailer GameStop has a strong following, but sales have slumped as more gamers prefer digital downloads, not trips to the store. It alsos was affected because many shoppers held off on purchases because a new generation of gaming consoles was scheduled to be introduced in late 2020.
18GameStop
Bloomberg//Getty ImagesThe company has closed almost 800 stores since the beginning of 2019. But the pandemic pushed closure of another 100 stores. In good news, the company experienced strong sales over the holidays and its stock skyrocketed in January 2021. But it's too early to tell the outcome.
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19Tuesday Morning
Xinhua News Agency//Getty ImagesThis popular off-price retailer was founded in 1974 by Lloyd Ross, who came up with the idea of selling left-over inventory from the big brands. He hosted a huge garage sale in a Dallas warehouse on a Tuesday morning, and the ideas was born. The store grew to 700 locations by 2020.
20Tuesday Morning
Bloomberg//Getty ImagesWith the shutdown, Tuesday Morning was hit particularly hard--mainly because they have no e-commerce business. The company filed for bankruptcy in May 2020, closing approximately 230 stores.

Arricca SanSone writes for CountryLiving.com, WomansDay.com, Family Circle, MarthaStewart.com, Cooking Light, Parents.com, and many others. She’s passionate about gardening, baking, reading, Polish pottery, vintage cookbooks, and spending time with the people and dogs she loves.
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