Forget Forever 21, another trendy chain shares bankruptcy closing
The mall retailer sells an array of popular brands and has begun its going-out-of-business sales.
Blaming malls for failing retail chains is both lazy and wrong.
In a broad sense, mall traffic has been relatively steady and it certainly has not plummeted in the way that some media likes to portray it. People still visit malls.
Related: Beloved breakfast restaurant chain closing more locations
"Visits to indoor malls and open-air shopping centers held relatively stable in February 2025, despite the sharp drop in consumer confidence. And both mall types outperformed the wider retail YoY average – highlighting the ongoing resilience of the retail format," according to data from Placer.ai.
The challenge for retailers is getting people to actually buy something when they're there. A mall can lure people in with food courts, massage chairs, entertainment, and who knows what else, but they can't force people to open their wallets.
A number of mall chains have either filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection or have proactively closed locations. Macy's and Fossil have both closed stores, while Forever 21 and Joann have begun fully shutting down all of their stores.
