People who like shopping in a physical brick-and-mortar store will have fewer choices in Florida before 2026 ends, according to new retail tracking.<\/p>\n
Retail, grocery and restaurant chains are closing hundreds of locations in 2026 as part of a broader, ongoing shift away from underperforming brick-and-mortar stores and toward e-commerce and more efficient operations, Business Insider reported<\/a>.<\/p>\n By the end of the year, more than 1,400 stores are expected to shutter, including familiar names like Kroger and Walgreens and mall and apparel staples like Francesca\u2019s, Carter\u2019s and Yankee Candle.<\/p>\n Here are stores that could close:<\/p>\n Carter\u2019s<\/a> plans to shutter about 100 of its children\u2019s and baby apparel stores by the end of 2026. The retailer said in October that it would close 150 stores over the next three years as leases expire.<\/p>\n Eddie Bauer<\/a> stores are disappearing after the operating entity was unable to find a buyer during Chapter 11. Liquidation sales are underway at the 175 Eddie Bauer stores in the United States and Canada. Florida has four Eddie Bauer stores.<\/p>\n Francesca\u2019s<\/a> is conducting going-out-of-business sales at all of its roughly 400 stores after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Feb. 5. Stores in Florida are found at Countryside Mall, Orlando International Premium Outlets, Ellenton Premium Outlets and Shops at Walgreens.<\/p>\n Grocery Outlet<\/a> is closing 36 underperforming stores, two-thirds of them in the eastern U.S., CEO Jason Potter told analysts on a March 4 earnings call, noting they no lumber had a \u201cviable path to sustained profitability.\u201d California-based Grocery Outlet, which operates about 500 stores across 16 states, said it won\u2019t exit any state entirely. The chain has nine stores in Florida.<\/p>\n Kroger<\/a> said last June that it would close 60 \u201cunprofitable\u201d stores nationwide over the next year and a half, a process that has already started. The stores targeted for closure operate under the flagship Kroger banner, but also include Fred Meyer, Fry\u2019s Food and Drug, Harris Teeter, Jay C, King Soopers, Mariano\u2019s, Pick \u2019n Save, and QFC locations.<\/p>\n Macy\u2019s<\/a> plans to close another 80 stores by the end of 2026 so it can focus on its 350 go-forward stores and the online shopping experience. Macy\u2019s closed about 65 stores in 2025. Store closures expected to be complete include 14 in 12 states, Axios reported. <\/p>\n Pizza Hut<\/a> parent Yum! Brands said in February that it will close about 250 underperforming stores as part of its \u201cHut Forward\u201d turnaround plan. The chain operates about 20,000 stores around the world. The company didn\u2019t say what Pizza Hut locations would close, but there are 198 in Florida.<\/p>\n REI<\/a>, which has eight stores in Florida, plans to close three stores in New Jersey, New York City\u2019s SoHo neighborhood, and Boston.<\/p>\n Saks Fifth Avenue<\/a> luxury apparel stores will shrink to 13 as a result of parent company Saks Global\u2019s bankruptcy filing in January. The company said in January it would close eight stores, then said in March it was adding another 12 to the list to be shuttered. Saks Global is also the parent company of Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, and Bergdorf Goodman. Saks Fifth Avenue stores in Florida are found in Palm Beach Gardens, Boca Raton, Miami, Sarasota, Bal Harbour and Naples.<\/p>\n Saks Off 5th<\/a>, Saks Global\u2019s outlet brand, plans to close its 57 remaining stores in early 2026. The outlet’s website, a separate legal entity, is also ceasing operations. Saks Off Fifth has 12 stores in Florida, including in Destin, West Palm Beach, Orlando and Lutz.<\/p>\n Neiman Marcus<\/a>, another Saks Global company, is closing four stores in Boston; Honolulu; Canyon Park\/Topanga, California; and White Plains, New York.<\/p>\n Wendy\u2019s<\/a> interim CEO Ken Cook told analysts in a Feb. 13 earnings call that it plans to close about 5 percent of its 6,000 restaurants, or about 300. Most of the closures are expected to take place in the first half of 2026, although Wendy\u2019s hasn\u2019t said what locations are changing. The fast-food chain has 490 stores in Florida.<\/p>\n