FatFace stores closing 2025: All U.S. and Canada locations on the doomed list as retailer goes online-only in North America
The retail clothing chain FatFace has confirmed to Fast Company that it will be closing 23 of its stores in the United States and Canada. Here’s what you need to know about the company’s shuttering of stores.
What’s happened?
Retail clothing chain FatFace has confirmed to Fast Company that it will be shuttering 23 stores in the United States and Canada. FatFace is a U.K.-based lifestyle, accessory, and apparel store that was founded in 1988. In 2023, British fashion retail giant Next bought the company for around $140 million.
But in the years since the acquisition, physical brick-and-mortar retailers have struggled, leading to numerous high-profile chains shuttering their stores. Major retail chains that have shuttered stores in the past few years have included furnishings retailer At Home, fashion and accessories retailer Claire’s, and discount retailer Big Lots.
The Express says that FatFace’s decision to close its North American locations is due to economic uncertainty and increased costs. The company told Fast Company that rising costs made the physical store model unviable at this time.
FatFace says the closure of its North American stores will impact 145 jobs.
FatFace lives on overseas and online
However, while FatFace has confirmed that it is closing its North American locations, the brand will still live on overseas and online.
After the North American stores are shuttered, FatFace will continue to sell its wares to Canadian and U.S. customers online. The company will also continue to operate the 175 brick-and-mortar stores it currently has in the United Kingdom.
But any future expansion plans the company has in the works seem to be digital only. FatFace says it will expand its online offerings to additional countries beyond the U.S. and the U.K. in the future.
North American FatFace store locations
FatFace did not provide a list of its closing locations or a date by which they would be permanently shuttered. But all of its 23 existing locations in the United States are scheduled to close for good in 2025.
Those seeking a list of where the FatFace stores are in North America should be aware that the company has confirmed to Fast Company that its online store locator tool for North America is not currently accurate.
As of the time of this writing, that online store locator tool lists more than 60 locations currently operating in the United States and Canada. But FatFace told Fast Company that the brand only has 23 locations left in North America.
Retail store closures could hit 15,000 in 2025
FatFace isn’t the only retailer facing store closings this year—and it likely won’t be the last.
According to a January report from Coresight Research, up to 15,000 retail stores in the United States could close by the end of the year. That would represent a 50% increase from the 10,000 that closed in 2020 as the pandemic depressed in-store shopping.
The main driver behind the expected closures, Coresight says, is increased online competition and inflationary pressures.