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).
Nissan Americas Chair Jeremie Papin spoke with Cheddar News and outlined the company's strategy, specifically its future in the electric vehicle market. "We foresee potentially 40% of our sales in 2030 being EVs," he said.
Restaurant inflation was up 8.8 percent from a year ago in March, according to the latest consumer price index, and customers say they're more carefully considering their culinary spending. Cheddar News correspondent Ashley Mastronardi visited Isabelle's Osteria in midtown Manhattan to ask patrons how the higher prices are impacting their wallets.
Longtime CNN host Don Lemon is out at the cable news network a little over two months after apologizing to viewers for on-air comments about Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley, CNN announced Monday.
The SAG-AFTRA National Board over the weekend voted unanimously to express solidarity with the Writers Guild of America and its plans to go on strike amid ongoing negotiations with studios and streamers.
