In memoriam: Brands we lost in 2025

"2025 was another challenging year for the retail industry, as tariffs added another crushing blow to an industry that had already been dealing with sky-high inflation and waning VC dollars in recent years. The numbers lay bare how challenging it was for the retail industry: As of October, job cuts across U.S. firms hit a 22-year high, with retail being one of the hardest-hit industries. And of course, there were bankruptcies."

"In turn, Modern Retail staff rounded up some of the most notable brand names we lost in 2025 - whether they were due to reorganizations, bankruptcies or quiet closures. For many, the past few years had been death by a thousand cuts. This especially proved true for legacy players like Joann and Rite Aid, which had survived prior bankruptcies but ultimately filed for Chapter 11 and wound down their businesses entirely in 2025."

"OpenStore's collapse in 2025 marked a clear endpoint for the once-booming e-commerce aggregator model. Founded in 2021 with ambitions to roll up dozens of Shopify brands, the company quickly amassed more than 40 storefronts, but many of those labels proved costly to run, requiring heavy digital marketing spend and new product development just to keep sales afloat. As e-commerce growth cooled and funding tightened, OpenStore halted acquisitions, laid off staff and began liquidating underperforming brands, according to CNBC."

Tariffs, sustained high inflation and declining venture capital created a harsh operating environment for retail in 2025. Job cuts reached a 22-year high by October, and U.S. business bankruptcies hit 6,574 in Q3, the most since mid-2014. Numerous brands ceased operations entirely due to reorganizations, bankruptcies and quiet closures, with legacy chains like Joann and Rite Aid filing Chapter 11 and winding down. Brand intellectual property frequently trades hands, so some names may reappear under new ownership. E-commerce aggregator OpenStore collapsed after overpaying for costly Shopify storefronts, halting acquisitions, liquidating stores and taking a down round valuation collapse.

Read at Digiday