Lands' End is quietly closing stores across the US

23 Dec 2025, 21:37 · The Fresno Bee

The rapid rise of online shopping has significantly reshaped consumer behavior, offering shoppers greater convenience and accessibility than ever before. As e-commerce continues to expand, traditional retail stores are slowly disappearing, moving closer to a future where brick-and-mortar locations are no longer as essential.

Economic uncertainty has only accelerated this shift. Cautious consumer spending has weakened sales and reduced foot traffic across many retail chains, forcing even long-established brands to shutter stores as they adapt their operations to better meet consumer demands.

Now, another iconic retailer is preparing to permanently close a key location, 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. Today, the company operates around 26 stores nationwide and sells through its e-commerce platforms as well as multiple third-party distributors.

Lands' End quietly closes stores

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 closure will end the retailer's physical footprint in the state, leaving the nearest location more than an hour away in Pennsylvania.

To clear remaining inventory, the company will launch a liquidation sale offering 50% off all merchandise, with an additional 60% off outerwear, according to Delaware Online.

Delaware is not the only market losing a local Lands' End store. The retailer has quietly closed multiple locations in 2025 and has already scheduled another closure for 2026.

Recent Lands' End store closures

The Center at Preston Ridge in Frisco, Texas: Closed in October 2025 due to financial performance issues (Source:The Dallas Morning News)
Congressional Plaza in Rockville, Maryland: Will close in January 2026 after the company was unable to reach a new lease agreement (Source:Store Reporter)
Christiana Fashion Center in Newark, Delaware: Will close in January 2026; no specific reason disclosed (Source:Delaware Online)

Lands' End company sale speculation

On March 7, 2025, Lands' End revealed that its board of directors had 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 emerged 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 urged the board to pursue a sale of the company in February 2025, as reported by The Wall Street Journal.

Lampert, who controls about 55% of the company, also said he would seek a buyer for his stake if the board declined to sell the business outright.

At the same time, Lands' End has struggled with sales declines in certain areas of its business. During the third quarter of fiscal 2025, net revenue decreased 0.3% year over year to $317.5 million, including a 3.4% drop in U.S. e-commerce sales.

More Retail Store Closures:

The recent store closures appear to be part of a broader effort to streamline operations and eliminate underperforming locations, allowing the company to focus on more profitable distribution channels, particularly digital sales, which account for the majority of its revenue.

"Traffic increases in our U.S. consumer business were up 25%, driven by digital channels, social, and search, with the most U.S. e-commerce website third-quarter visits ever, a very positive indicator heading into the holiday season," said Lands' End CEO Andrew McLean in an earnings call.

In its full-year fiscal 2024 results, Lands' End said it plans to prioritize its digital business and operations, continue leveraging its asset-light licensing model, and expand its market-leading Outfitters division.

The rise of online shopping

Online shopping continues to dominate the U.S. retail landscape. With 84.3% of Americans shopping online, U.S. e-commerce spending reached $1.34 trillion in 2024 and is projected to surpass $2.5 trillion in 2030, according to Capital One Shopping.

In 2024, U.S. online sales accounted for 22.3% of global e-commerce spending, up nearly 1.5% from the year prior, 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 seeking to create unique, in-person shopping experiences.

"Stores are valuable assets," said EY Global Consumer Senior Analyst Jon Copestake to CX Dive. "If you were to consider cutting or eliminating store footprints because of the rise of online and the rise of AI buying, etc., then you may be missing a significant trick."

Still, as retailers like Lands' End reduce their physical presence to strengthen profitability, even small-scale closures can have major consequences.

"For shoppers, widespread store closures can reduce convenience, especially in smaller towns, said Retail Insights Network Financial Reporter Mohamed Dabo. "In the U.S., location losses may even create 'retail deserts' where travel of up to 20 miles becomes necessary for everyday shopping."

The impacts of these closures extend beyond convenience. The retail industry is the largest private-sector employer in the country, contributing $5.3 trillion to the annual GDP and supporting more than one in four U.S. jobs, which totals 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 an increasingly common sight, and declining commercial property values are the norm. And for consumers, the fallout means fewer choices, diminished access to in-person shopping, and, in some cases, higher prices due to reduced competition."

TheStreet

This story was originally published December 23, 2025 at 1:37 PM.