Shop closures in the US acclerated last year - the number of stores shut was 30 percent higher in 2023 than the year before. The closures affected a whole range of sectors, from clothing stores to discount stores and drugstores, as American commerce increasingly takes to the internet. But the home and office sector was hit hardest, accounting for more than 30 percent of all closures - more than twice the amount in 2022. Driving the high tally was that many retailers, such as Bed Bath & Beyond and Tuesday Morning, went bankrupt in 2023 and closed almost all stores as a result. Other retailers, like Signet Jewelers, announced closures amid poor sales.
