More than 90 million square feet of retail space has been shuttered this year, and with the retailer Bon-Ton announcing this week it would close 200 of its stores, 2018 is on track to break last year's record for lost stores.
"This is just another example of one of those big box retailers who weren't nimble enough and really listening to the changing times," said Melissa Gonzalez, founder and CEO of Lionesque Group.
In the first four months of 2018, retail giants like Toys "R" Us, Sears, and Sam's Club have closed all or some of their locations. Moody's distressed-level watch list predicted that others, such as Guitar Center, J. Crew, and David's Bridal could be next.
There have already been more store closures in 2018 than there were in all of 2016. And as each brick-and-mortar shop shutters, it creates potential customers for online retailers like Amazon.
"They have data at their fingertips, they're really at the pulse of understanding what consumers want," said Gonzalez in an interview Friday on Cheddar. "They can serve up the items that you know we want, and present things online before we even know we want them, and they can target us in ways department stores aren't able to do."
For full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/2018-the-year-of-retail-closures).
New car sales in the U.S. are forecasted to grow next year.
Many of us will look to chart a path to tackling finances as the New Year arrives. Jamila Souffrant, author of "Your Journey to Financial Freedom," joined Cheddar News to discuss steps on what to take if you're looking to take control of your life for financial freedom.
If you're looking to upgrade your home entertainment system, Vizio may have you covered, especially this holiday season. Phil Schneider, head of device sales with Vizio, spoke with Cheddar News about what's currently in demand.
There are reports that Warner Brothers Discovery and Paramount have held talks to join forces. Cheddar News breaks it down to discuss what this could mean for the media landscape and for viewers.
Thursday kicks off the busiest holiday travel period of the year.
SiriusXM is facing a new lawsuit for allegedly trapping customers into subscription plans.
IKEA says it expects shipping delays and other product availability issues due to ongoing attacks by Houthi rebels in the Red Sea.
There are multiple reports that talks are underway for a potential merger of Warner Brothers Discovery and Paramount Global.
Stocks jumped after the opening bell on Thursday a day after Wall Street suffered its worst loss since October.
Dunkin said it's removing coconut milk from the menu.
