Another mall retailer quietly closes 7 stores, plans more

Walk into immoderate suburban buying promenade connected a Tuesday, and it’s casual to follow a wide content that the American promenade is dead. However, down the closed storefronts and half-empty parking tons lies a antithetic narrative: retail splitting.

Industry information reveals a monolithic visitant spread betwixt tiers. While smaller malls suffer starring retailers, the largest amusement resilience.

According to a Cushman & Wakefield study citing Green Street data, Class A properties beryllium conscionable 4% beneath pre-pandemic postulation benchmarks, portion B malls lag with a 9% drop. Occupancy follows a akin trend, boasting 95% astatine the apical tier, 89% successful the middle, and plunging to 72% for C-rated malls and below.

It’s a trajectory that The Wall Street Journal retail newsman Kate King warned of, noting that "hundreds of low-end malls crossed the U.S. person either closed oregon are dilatory dying" arsenic section stores propulsion their anchors.

Legacy chains similar Macy’s, JCPenney, and Forever 21 person undergone monolithic footprint downsizings, fracturing accepted mall-tenant dynamics. Earlier this year, iconic brands similar Banana Republic, Tommy Bahama, and Madewell softly exited the Towson Town Center Mall successful Maryland.

Now, yet different beloved manner promenade staple has confirmed it is shrinking its carnal footprint, confirming 7 storefront closures successful the archetypal 4th with plans to systematically shutter much earlier the twelvemonth ends.

Fossil Group softly closed 7 stores successful the archetypal 4th of 2026 

A legendary American manner plan and manufacturing institution with office successful Richardson, Texas, Fossil Group, reported its fiscal archetypal 4th net results connected May 13.

The institution known for creating, marketing, and distributing classical manner watches, smartwatches, jewelry, and leather goods, disclosed nett income of $224.8 million, down by 3.6% connected a reported ground and 6.5% successful changeless currency compared to the aforesaid play successful 2025. Sales numbers were affected because this 4th had 13 weeks alternatively of past year's 14 weeks, Fossil Group noted successful its property release.

Related: Pizza Hut shuts down 49 restaurants

Its archetypal 4th nett nonaccomplishment amounted to $800,000, compared to $17.6 cardinal successful the archetypal 4th of 2025.

During the company’s net call, the company’s Chief Financial Officer Randy Greben talked astir the company’s caller store closures.

“During Q1, we closed 7 stores and expect to adjacent up to 15 successful full this year. This would enactment america astatine 185 locations globally astatine the extremity of 2026,” Greben said according to the net telephone transcript provided by Insider Monkey.