There was no forever in store for Forever 21's US stores. The same goes for fellow bankrupt companies Joann Fabrics and Party City, which joined the fast-fashion brand in closing their brick-and-mortars over the past year. We experienced another slaughter for physical stores at large in 2025 as inflation and high operational costs ate away at profit margins and shoppers continued to purchase from their couches. Tween favorite Claire's, department stores Kohl's and Macy's, and discount retailer Big Lots were also victims.
If you're anything like us (and most people, quite frankly), you're easily taken in by a social media algorithm. We could scroll for hours through influencer-curated images of perfect kitchens, decked out with all the latest gadgets and expensive-looking decor. But most of us don't live in a world where we can afford to splurge thousands of dollars on making our kitchens look perfect.