The rapid growth of online shopping has significantly reshaped consumer behavior, offering shoppers more convenience and accessibility than ever before. As e-commerce continues to expand, brick-and-mortar retail stores are slowly disappearing, moving toward a future where brick-and-mortar locations are no longer as essential.
Economic uncertainty has only accelerated this change. Prudent consumer spending has weakened sales and reduced foot traffic at many retail chains, forcing even long-standing brands to close stores as they adjust their operations to better meet consumer demands.
Now, another iconic retailer is preparing to close a key location for good, leaving an entire state without its physical presence.
Founded in 1963 as a mail-order watch supply company in Chicago, Lands’ End evolved into a retailer of apparel, swimwear, outerwear, accessories, footwear, home products and uniforms by 1978. The company currently operates approximately 26 stores nationwide and sells through its e-commerce platforms as well as several third-party distributors.
Lands’ End (LE) will close its store at the 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 the closest location more than an hour away in Pennsylvania.
To clear out the remaining inventory, the company will launch a clearance sale offering 50 percent off all merchandise, with an additional 60 percent off outerwear, according to Delaware Online.
Delaware isn’t the only market to lose a local Lands’ End store. The retailer quietly closed several locations in 2025 and has already scheduled another closure for 2026.
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Center at Preston Ridge in Frisco, Texas: Closed in October 2025 due to financial performance issues (Source:The Dallas Morning News)
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Congressional Plaza in Rockville, Maryland: It will close in January 2026 after the company was unable to reach a new lease (Source:Store reporter)
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Christiana Fashion Center in Newark, Delaware: It will close in January 2026; no particular reason disclosed (Source:Delaware Online)
On March 7, 2025, Lands’ End disclosed that its board of directors has initiated a review of strategic alternatives, including a potential sale, merger or similar transaction, as disclosed in its Form 8-K for the second quarter of 2025. This process remains ongoing.
Earlier this year, reports surfaced that Authentic Brands Global and WHP Global had submitted bids to acquire the company, as reported by Reuters. Lands’ End has not publicly confirmed the bidders.
The potential sale follows pressure from Lands’ End’s largest shareholder, Edward Lampert, who asked the board to pursue a sale of the company in February 2025, The Wall Street Journal reported.
Lampert, who controls about 55 percent 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, Lands’ End struggled with declining sales in certain areas of its business. During the third quarter of fiscal 2025, net income 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 larger effort to streamline operations and shed 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 US consumer business was up 25%, driven by digital, social and search channels, with the most visits to US e-commerce sites in the third quarter, a very positive indicator heading into the holiday season,” Lands’ End CEO Andrew McLean said in an earnings call.
In its fiscal 2024 results, Lands’ End said it plans to prioritize its digital business and operations, continue to use its asset-light licensing model and expand its market-leading Outfitters division.
Online shopping continues to dominate the US retail landscape. With 84.3 percent of Americans shopping online, U.S. e-commerce spending reached $1.34 trillion in 2024 and is projected to exceed $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 a crucial role for retailers looking to create unique in-person shopping experiences.
“Stores are valuable assets,” EY Global Consumer Senior Analyst Jon Copestake told CX Dive. “If you were to think about reducing or eliminating your store footprint because of the growth of online and the rise of AI shopping, etc., then you may be missing a significant trick.”
However, as retailers like Lands’ End reduce physical presence to boost profitability, even small-scale closures can have major consequences.
“For shoppers, widespread store closings can reduce convenience, especially in smaller cities,” said Retail Insights Network financial reporter Mohamed Dabo. “In the U.S., location losses can even create ‘retail deserts,’ where trips of up to 20 miles become necessary for everyday shopping.”
The effects of these closures extend beyond convenience. 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 totaling 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 biggest anchors,” said Approved Funding President and Chief Lending Officer Shmuel Shayowitz.
“Vacant storefronts are becoming more common and declining commercial property values are the norm. And for consumers, the consequences mean fewer choices, less access to in-person 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 favorite source by clicking here.