Ohio shoppers wonder 'where to go' after sudden store closures but note one perk of retail bloodbath

American shoppers have been left mourning thousands of brick-and-mortar stores set to shutter across the country in a record-breaking retail bloodbath.

As retailers struggle to overcome declining sales, more stores are closing their doors for good, leaving once-bustling shopping malls barren. Customers at Franklin Park Mall in Toledo, Ohio, are among those who've been left with few options for in-store shopping experiences as the mall experiences several major closures.

"There's still plenty of things to do, you can hang out with people there still, get food, buy things that you wouldn't normally find in other places," Toledo resident Dylan Miracola told WTOL but noted: "Once those stores are gone there's not a reason to go anymore."

Tori Klepsky, another resident who enjoyed clothes shopping at the mall, said the retail apocalypse currently spreading across the country does come with at least one perk. "It is nice right now because there's deals on things," she noted.

But one of her favorite stores at the mall, Forever 21, closed its doors on March 31 after the company recently filed for its second bankruptcy in five years and announced it would be shutting down all of its stores. "Then they're gonna be gone and where do I go from there," Tori added.

Macy's, which is set to shutter 150 stores by the end of next year, also recently created another vacancy in the mall. It's not just retailers that are abandoning the mall, BD's Mongolian Grill also closed down on March 18.

"I used to go to the Mongolian Grill nearby a lot, I enjoyed the food there but now there's less reason to go because somewhere that I like isn't there anymore," Dylan said. Toledo city officials told WTOL that they are disappointed the stores are shutting their doors but Brandon Selhorst, the director of economic development, says it's not a local issue.

"These closures are a result of industry-wide challenges rather than conditions unique to our community," he said in a statement. A spokesperson for the mall also said that while some retailers are leaving, other stores are coming in or have been lined up to take their place.

"In the last few months, we have welcomed several popular national brands including JD Sports, Lovisa, Dunkin' and Miniso to our family of retailers and we will be welcoming Saucy Slamwich later this spring," a spokesperson for the mall said.

Up to 15,000 stores are expected to close across the US this year, according to Coresight Research, nearly double the 7,325 locations that closed in 2024. “Inflation and a growing preference among consumers to shop online to find the cheapest deals took a toll on brick-and-mortar retailers in 2024," Coresight CEO Deborah Weinswig said in a statement.

"We continue to see a trend of consumers opting for the path of least resistance. Not only do they want the best prices, but they also have no patience for stores that are constantly disorganized, out of stock, and that deliver poor customer service."