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).
The S&P 500 fell 0.6% Monday, its second straight fall after a stunningly strong report on the jobs market dented the market’s hopes that interest rates would ease
Will Rhind, CEO of GraniteShares, joined Cheddar News to discuss Friday's trading session and the overall market as investors deal with some uncertainty despite the Federal Reserve's cautious optimism about inflation cooling.
Looking ahead to what could move markets next week, Cheddar News discusses what earnings to expect and explains why a Southwest Airlines executive will testify about its recent flight cancellations.
Toy's don't just have to be mindless objects we give children to pass time, they can be educational, brain stimulating, and emotionally calming. From toys that tell you stories to ones that let you test your creative side and music making skills, this year's Consumer Electronics Show presented some tech toys that could have some positive impacts on your mind.
Jason Vitug, financial wellness expert and author of "Happy Money Happy Life," joined Cheddar News to discuss how to overcome the emotional, financial and stressful toll of workforce reductions.
The Week's Top Stories is a guided tour through the biggest market stories of the week, from winning stocks to brutal dips to the facts and forecasts generating buzz on Wall Street.
