Four Columbus-area Party City store locations are up for auction next month. The New Jersey-based retailer in December said it would be going out of business after nearly 40 years. That means closing its more than 850 stores across the country.

A new report predicts this year will only get worse for the already-struggling retail sector, with the number of location closings expected to double. It’s no secret that 2024 was a tough year for many retailers.

The new owner of Ohio-based Big Lots is auctioning off the leases of more than 500 stores, including several Columbus-area locations. Gordon Brothers Retail Partners closed on a last-minute agreement to acquire Big Lots earlier in January and has since listed the leases of more than 500 stores as part of

Experts say the rise in store shutterings is driven by rising online retail sales and consumers converging on big one-stop-shopping chains and platforms.

We’ve been hearing about a lot of store closings lately. Macy’s, Party City, and Big Lots, to name three. University of Michigan Ross School of Business Professor Erik Gordon says it’s pretty typical

Opened Aug. 19 11190 Circle Drive, Ste. 101, Austin Opened Nov. 26 Opened Jan. 1 Opened Jan. 7 Relocated Dec. 5 Closing Jan. 31

Store closures in the U.S. spiked in 2024 and are expected to rise to about 15,000 this year, according to Coresight Research, a retail advisory group.

Three retailers accounted for the majority of that slice of the pie, including Family Dollar at 718 stores closed, Big Lots at 517 stores closed, and 99 Cents Only Stores at 371 stores closed.

Another big cut coming to Big Lots' store base as more than 500 are up for sale, including these around Chicago.

Another big cut coming to Big Lots' store base as more than 500 are up for sale, including these around Los Angeles.

The company that bought Big Lots in December has announced it will sell its remaining locations in Arizona. Here's which locations are affected.

CVS is the next up to close stores in Connecticut. Their locations on 777 Main St. and 690 Wethersfield Ave. will be closed by mid-March. CVS said people will have access to their prescriptions at the other two stores in Hartford,