Here’s what you need to know about the state of retail in 2026: some of your favorite shopping stops are disappearing, while others are quietly planting flags all over the country. Coresight Research, via CNBC, recently released its breakdown of which retailers are opening the most new stores and which ones are closing up shop. If you’ve noticed some changes at your local strip mall or shopping center, this explains a lot.

Let’s start with the good news.

The Brands That Are Growing

Dollar General tops the list of biggest expanders this year, with 483 new stores planned on top of its already massive footprint of more than 20,900 locations. If you feel like there’s a Dollar General on every corner, well, that’s not far from the truth, and the number keeps climbing.

Aldi is adding 168 new stores, which will thrill anyone who has discovered its no-frills, low-price grocery model. Tractor Supply is opening 100 new locations, a sign that suburban and rural homeowners are still investing in their properties and livestock. Casey’s, the Midwest convenience store chain, is pushing 27 new locations, and 7-Eleven is adding 21.

Two names on the growth list might genuinely surprise you. Barnes and Noble is opening 66 new stores this year. Yes, the bookstore is making a real comeback. Pop Mart, a specialty collectibles retailer known for its blind-box toy figures, is opening 20 locations on a base of just 64 existing stores. That is enormous percentage growth for a small chain, and it speaks to how niche retail can thrive when it builds a devoted community. Yankee Candle rounds out the top ten with 23 new openings.

The Closings You Should Know About

On the other side of the ledger, some closings will hit close to home for a lot of suburban families.

GameStop is closing 467 stores this year, continuing a dramatic pullback from a chain that once anchored mall after mall. Francesca’s, the women’s accessories boutique, is shutting down 402 of its 457 locations. That is essentially the end of that brand’s brick-and-mortar presence.

Walgreens is closing 350 stores, adding to the 479 locations it shuttered in 2025. If your neighborhood pharmacy has been Walgreens, it’s worth checking whether your location is on the closure list. Carter’s, the beloved children’s clothing brand, is closing 86 of its 808 stores, which stings for parents who have relied on it for years of back-to-school and holiday shopping.

The Amazon Fresh closures deserve special attention. The company is closing all 57 of its Amazon Fresh grocery locations. Every single one. That is a significant retreat from Amazon’s attempt to break into traditional grocery retail.

How Does 2026 Stack Up Against Last Year?

The overall picture is actually more encouraging than you might expect. Closings are trending down compared to 2025, when massive chains like Rite Aid (1,292 stores), Joann’s (815 stores), Party City (738 stores), and Big Lots (682 stores) all made dramatic exits. The retail bloodbath of 2025 has eased.

Openings have held roughly steady, which tells you that while the retail sector is still reshaping itself, the worst of the shakeout may be behind us.

What This Means for Your Neighborhood

As someone who walks these streets, I’d say the pattern here is pretty clear. Budget-friendly stores, specialty niche retailers, and brands with a loyal repeat customer base are winning. The middle ground, mall staples with no clear identity and big-box concepts that never quite found their footing, is shrinking fast.

If you rely on any of the chains in the closing column, now is a good time to check on your local store’s status and start mapping out alternatives. Many of the growing chains, especially Aldi and Dollar General, likely have locations closer to you than you think.

Retail is changing, but your options are not disappearing. They are just moving around a bit.