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Walgreens and 9 Other Major Stores That Are Closing in April

It's going to be a rough month for some big-name brands.

By Cassandra Yorgey , Edited by Sara Albertelli

Updated April 6, 2026

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Consumers have been bearing the brunt of rising costs for years, and the impact of reduced spending is hitting major retail stores. Shoppers are spending less and finding new and unique ways to save on everyday essentials, and that is causing chain stores and restaurants to shrink their physical footprint in response.

Many major national chains are seeing decreased profits and are shrinking their location footprint in response. These closures are across many different markets, including not just retail shopping but also restaurants, pharmacies, and grocery stores. The trend of store closings is on pace to continue throughout 2026.

See which major retailers are shutting their doors in April.

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Eddie Bauer

The iconic outdoor adventure apparel brand Eddie Bauer was unable to find a buyer during its Chapter 11 bankruptcy restructuring and is now proceeding with closing all 200 stores located throughout the U.S. and Canada. Liquidation sales are already underway, and the stores are all likely to be shut down by the end of April. The manufacturing, wholesale, and e-commerce operations are not expected to be impacted.

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Wendy's

In February, Wendy's announced it would be cutting its restaurant footprint by approximately 5 to 6%, which is roughly 300 locations. These closures are expected to occur throughout the year, and 28 have already closed. An official list of locations has not been released. However, locations are slated to continue shutting down between now and December.

Pizza Hut

Yum! Brands has announced it is closing 250 Pizza Hut locations in the first half of 2026, with many likely in April. These are all within the U.S. and represent a small fraction of their global footprint, which is currently about 20,000 locations worldwide. They aren't the only pizza chain struggling with sales and facing closings in April.

Papa Johns

It's a tough sales environment for chain pizza restaurants, and Papa Johns announced in February that it is closing 200 locations this year. Facilities on the chopping block are typically more than 10 years old, generate a unit volume of less than $600,000, and operate at a loss. An additional 100 are slated to be closed in 2027, but customers could see closures in April.

Big Lots

The discount retailer failed to secure a buyer during the Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings and is now forced to liquidate all remaining locations. All Big Lots stores in Georgia are set to be closed permanently by the end of April. Consumers could make the most of the closings by checking liquidation sales for the best deals.

Foot Locker

Dick's Sporting Goods acquired Foot Locker and announced there would be 400 store closures by the end of 2026. However, it recently pulled back on that number after seeing success with redesigned store concepts. Fewer stores are closing, but there are still some.

April is seeing the closure of some "C and D" mall locations across Georgia. Under the new revitalization plan, the mall-based shops in secondary markets are being phased out in favor of larger "power stores" under the new store models created by Dick's.

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Macy's

The department store giant announced plans to cut 150 locations by the end of the year, and New York is seeing a significant portion of those closings in April. Boulevard Mall in Amherst, Rochester (Mall at Greece Ridge), and Massapequa (Sunrise Mall) are all preparing to close down in April.

Walgreens

The major pharmacy retailer was initially planning to close 1,200 stores by 2027, and about 700 of those were slated for this year. That number has been scaled back to just under 100 stores in 2026 that are projected to be closed. Some of these closures are occurring in April, with at least two locations in Connecticut ceasing operation by the end of the month.

Albertsons

The grocery store Albertsons is pursuing an aggressive "footprint optimization" after a merger with Kroger failed in 2025. Underperforming locations in the Northeast are closing, and in April, it is starting to finalize inventory for liquidation at low-margin stores throughout New England.

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Stop & Shop

A hundred-year legacy grocery is streamlining its store footprint in Massachusetts in April. Stop & Shop is closing several underperforming locations and shifting focus to remodeled flagship stores. Eight locations in total are closing as part of the restructuring this month.

Bottom line

The retail landscape is headed for drastic shifts as Americans struggle with things like increased household costs and rising grocery prices that have families preparing to withstand further economic downturns. When consumers can't spend, it impacts a business's ability to maintain operations.

In response, major retailers are shifting away from mall locations that traditionally drew in shoppers and instead are turning towards mixed-use development locations.

Planned developments that integrate "live-work-play" aspects of life into one centralized location are seeing an increase, while shopping centers located further away from residential areas are being vacated.

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