Popular Women’s Fashion Store Closures Without Filing for Bankruptcy

Why Torrid’s quiet store closures signal a bigger shift in women’s retail.

Plus Size Clothing in Camp Hill, PA at Torrid

If it feels like every time you walk through a mall another store has disappeared, you’re not imagining things. Women’s fashion store closures have become one of the biggest retail stories of the past few years — and 2026 is already continuing that trend.

This time, the spotlight is on Torrid, the popular plus-size women’s fashion brand, which is closing dozens of stores without filing for bankruptcy. No dramatic court filings. No liquidation sales splashed across headlines. Just a steady, strategic pullback from physical retail.

And honestly? That might be the most telling part.

Why Women’s Fashion Store Closures Are Accelerating

Mall-based fashion retailers have been under pressure for years, but the past 18 months have been especially brutal. A few major factors keep coming up again and again:

• Shoppers spending more online and less in malls

• Rising labor and product costs due to inflation and tariffs

• Fierce competition from fast fashion, resale, and off-price retailers

In 2025 alone, we saw massive collapses:

• Forever 21 filed for Chapter 11 and closed all U.S. stores

• Liberated Brands (Volcom, Billabong, Roxy, Quiksilver) liquidated entirely

• Claire’s filed for bankruptcy again, though it continues operating

Against that backdrop, Torrid’s decision not to file for bankruptcy feels intentional — and calculated.

Torrid’s Strategy: Close Stores, Not the Brand

Instead of shutting down completely, Torrid announced plans to close up to 180 underperforming stores during its 2025 fiscal year, which ends in February 2026.

So far:

• 74 stores closed in the first three quarters

• Up to 106 more could close by the end of January

• Store count dropped from 634 to around 560

Recent January closures include locations in:

• Peoria, Illinois

• Cherry Hill, New Jersey

• Citrus Heights, California

This isn’t panic — it’s restructuring.

Why Torrid Is Betting on Digital

Here’s the key stat that explains everything:More than 60% of plus-size fashion sales now happen online.

That number alone tells you why maintaining hundreds of mall locations no longer makes sense. Analysts agree that Torrid’s move is less about failure and more about survival.

Industry experts say shrinking the physical footprint frees up money for:

• Better product development

• Stronger online marketing

• Faster digital growth

In other words, Torrid is following where its customers already are.

The Financial Reality Behind the Closures

While Torrid is still operating, not everything is rosy behind the scenes. In January, S&P Global downgraded the company’s credit rating, citing concerns about its long-term financial structure and ability to cover debt obligations.

That doesn’t mean bankruptcy is imminent — but it does explain why the brand is moving carefully and cutting costs now instead of waiting until things get worse.

What This Means for Shoppers

For customers, these women’s fashion store closures come with mixed feelings:

• Fewer fitting rooms and in-person styling experiences

• More online exclusives and digital-first collections

• Faster trend cycles, but less community-based shopping

If you love Torrid, the brand isn’t going anywhere — it’s just showing up differently.

Final Thoughts

Torrid’s store closures aren’t about collapse — they’re about adaptation. And that’s what makes this story different from so many others in retail right now.

As women’s fashion store closures continue across the industry, the brands that survive will be the ones willing to evolve before bankruptcy forces their hand.

For better or worse, the future of fashion is digital — and Torrid is betting everything on it.