The retail landscape is shifting, and value is winning.U.S. retailers are projected to open more stores than they close in 2026, a reversal from recent trends, with discount chains leading the charge, according to a new analysis by Coresight Research.
Coresight forecasts approximately 5,500 new store openings across the U.S. in 2026, a 4.4% increase year over year. Simultaneously, they anticipate roughly 7,900 store closures, representing a 4.5% decrease compared to 2025-the lowest number in the past three years.
So far this year, Dollar General, Aldi, and Tractor Supply are slated to open the most new locations. Conversely,GameStop, Francesca’s, and Walgreens are planning the most important number of closures in 2026.
John Mercer, head of global research at Coresight, anticipates that key economic factors, such as inflation and the housing market, will gradually improve in the coming year.However, he notes that retailers’ real estate strategies reflect only “an incremental improvement over 2025 but not a major inflection point.”
The data reveals a clear trend: department stores and established retailers are shrinking their physical footprints, while value-focused businesses-including discounters, warehouse clubs, and off-price chains-are expanding. Triumphant retailers like Abercrombie & Fitch and Gap are also gaining ground, often at the expense of smaller specialty apparel stores.
Already in early 2026, several major store closure announcements have been made. GameStop intends to close hundreds of locations, building on previous closures. Women’s fashion retailer Francesca’s is liquidating all 460 stores after filing for bankruptcy. And Amazon announced it will shutter all Amazon Fresh and Amazon Go locations, converting some into Whole Foods Market stores, effectively ending that grocery experiment.
Last year, store closures were expected to reach their highest level since the COVID-19 pandemic, but the final count came in at 8,270-down from 8,825 in 2024.
“Shopping centers that are trying to grow up and mature like to bring in those national name brands like soulcycle,” Jaggi said. “You can pop out a GameStop and pop in a Soulcycle.”
As brick-and-mortar stores adapt, the increasing use of artificial intelligence chatbots like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini is challenging retailers to offer compelling in-person experiences. Mercer explained that stores need to provide convenience,easy returns,attractive discounts,or become destinations that offer something unique.
“Stores are great brand builders,” he said. “If you think about agentic commerce, it’s great for comparison shopping. Stores are a great way to build value in that brand and separate yourself from the race to the bottom on price.”
