6/26

Good overview of retail trends from Bloomberg.  One extract:

There could be 8,640 store closings in 2017.... That would be higher than the 2008 peak of about 6,200. 

Retail defaults are contributing to the trend. Payless is closing 400 stores as part of a bankruptcy plan announced on Tuesday. The mammoth chain had roughly 4,000 locations and 22,000 employees -- more than it needs to handle sluggish demand. 

HHGregg Inc., Gordmans Stores Inc. and Gander Mountain Co. all entered bankruptcy this year. RadioShack, meanwhile, filed for Chapter 11 for the second time in two years.

Other companies are plowing ahead with store closures outside of bankruptcy court. Sears Holdings Corp., Macy’s Inc. and J.C. Penney Co. are shutting hundreds of locations combined, reeling from an especially punishing slump in the department-store industry.

Meanwhile, Dollar General reported a 14 percent sales increase and plans to open 1000 new stores.  Business Insider headlined the news as, "Dollar General is Defying the Retail Apocalypse."