The 62-year-old retail chain is quietly closing stores across America

The rapid growth of online shopping has significantly reshaped consumer behavior, giving shoppers more convenience and access than ever before. As e-commerce expands, traditional retail stores are slowly disappearing, moving closer to a future where brick-and-mortar locations are no longer necessary.

Economic uncertainty has only accelerated this change. Cautious consumer spending has weakened sales and reduced foot traffic at many retail chains, forcing even long-established brands to shutter stores as they adapt their operations to meet consumer demands.

Now, another iconic retailer is preparing to permanently close its flagship location, leaving the entire state without its physical presence.

Founded in Chicago in 1963 as a mail-order watch supply company, Land’s End evolved into a retailer of apparel, swimwear, outerwear, accessories, footwear, home products, and uniforms by 1978. Today, the company operates 26 stores across the country and sells through third-party platforms.

Lands’ End (LE) will close its store at Christiana Fashion Center located at 3168 Fashion Center Blvd. in Newark, Delaware, on January 24, 2026. The closing will end the retailer’s physical footprint in the state, leaving a location more than an hour away in Pennsylvania.

To clear remaining inventory, the company will launch a liquidation sale offering 50% off all merchandise, with an additional 60% off outerwear, according to Delaware Online.

Delaware isn’t the only market to lose a local Land’s End store. The retailer has already quietly closed several locations in 2025 and has scheduled another closure for 2026.

• Center at Preston Ridge in Frisco, Texas: Closed in October 2025 due to financial performance issues (Source:(Dallas Morning News)

• Congressional Plaza in Rockville, Maryland: The company will close in January 2026 after being unable to reach a new lease agreement (Source:store reporter)

• Christiana Fashion Center in Newark, Delaware: will close in January 2026; No specific reason has been disclosed (Source:Delaware Online)

On March 7, 2025, Land’s End disclosed that its board of directors has begun a review of strategic options, including a potential sale, merger, or similar transaction, as disclosed in its Form 8-K for the second quarter of 2025. This process is ongoing.

Earlier this year, reports emerged that Authentic Brands Global and WHP Global had submitted bids to acquire the company, as reported by Reuters. Land’s End has not publicly confirmed the bidders.

The potential sale follows pressure from Land’s End’s largest shareholder, Edward Lampert, who urged the board to pursue a sale of the company in February 2025, as reported by The Wall Street Journal.

Lampert, who controls about 55% of the company, also said he would seek a buyer for his stake if the board refused to sell the business outright.

At the same time, Land’s End has struggled with declining sales in some areas of its business. In the third quarter of fiscal 2025, net revenue fell 0.3% year-over-year to $317.5 million, including a 3.4% decline in U.S. e-commerce sales.

More retail store closings:

The recent store closings appear to be part of a broader effort to streamline operations and eliminate underperforming locations, allowing the company to focus on more profitable distribution channels, particularly digital sales, which account for the majority of its revenue.

“Traffic growth in our U.S. consumer business was up 25%, driven by digital channels, social, and search, with the most U.S. e-commerce website visits third-quarter, a very positive indicator heading into the holiday season,” Lands’ End CEO Andrew McLean said on the earnings call.

In its full-year fiscal 2024 results, Lands’ End said it plans to prioritize its digital business and operations, continue to leverage its asset-light licensing model and expand its market-leading outfitters division.

Online shopping continues to dominate the US retail landscape. With 84.3% of Americans shopping online, US e-commerce spending is projected to reach $1.34 trillion in 2024 and surpass $2.5 trillion in 2030, according to Capital One Shopping.

In 2024, US online sales accounted for 22.3% of global e-commerce spending, up nearly 1.5% from the previous year, and are expected to reach $1.47 trillion in 2025.

Despite these gains, brick-and-mortar stores continue to play an important role for retailers looking to create unique, personalized shopping experiences.

“Stores are a valuable asset,” EY Global Consumer Senior Analyst John Copestake told CX Dive. “If you’re considering cutting or eliminating store footprints because of the growth of online and AI purchasing, you could be missing an important move.”

Still, as retailers like Land’s End reduce their physical presence to bolster profits, even small adjustments can have big results.

“For shoppers, widespread store closings can reduce convenience, especially in smaller cities,” said Retail Insights Network Financial Reporter Mohamed Dabo. “In the United States, location losses can also create ‘retail deserts’ where daily shopping requires a trip of up to 20 miles.”

The impact of these closures extends beyond the facility. The retail industry is the nation’s largest private sector employer, contributing $5.3 trillion to annual GDP and supporting more than one in four U.S. jobs, which total 55 million workers, according to the National Retail Federation.

“Thousands of workers are losing their jobs, many of them in communities where retail employment has historically been one of the largest anchors,” said Shmuel Shayowitz, president and chief lending officer of Approved Fund.

“Empty storefronts are becoming an increasingly common sight, and declining commercial property values ​​are the norm. And for consumers, the result is fewer choices, less access to personal shopping, and, in some cases, higher prices due to reduced competition.”

Related: Bankrupt 64-year-old retail chain faces millions in unpaid debt

This story was originally published by TheStreet on December 23, 2025, where it first appeared in the Retail section. Add TheStreet as a preferred source by clicking here.