More than 4,300 stores are closing in 2020 as the retail apocalypse drags on. Here's the full list.

[Jirel]

8. Let's call this what it is -

perfectly ok, and probably past due.

Retail has been excessive for years. There is no need for the number of stores all selling substantially the same thing, especially the same store in multiple locations close to each other. Look at the proliferation of Starbucks to the point that a Starbucks across from a Starbucks actually was not that uncommon. In the big city nearest me, I can think of multiple chain retail stores that have locations less than 3-4 miles from each other, including Chicos, Ann Taylor, Victoria’s Secret, etc. I can think of a mall I had visited where there were 3 Victoria’s Secret stores all in the same mall, and it was not the only store with duplicates there. There is no need for that kind of retail.

The crisis just accelerated the death of brands with dumb business practices or products that were either ubiquitous across multiple stores or served too specific a niche (like women’s clothing that nobody over a size 10/12 could wear).