Only 2 months into 2025, a look at NJ’s shopping apocalypse

We’re only a couple of months into the new year and it appears that the shopping landscape across New Jersey will face some big changes as we head further into 2025.

In other words, it’s going to be another tough year for traditional brick and mortar stores.

Since around this past Thanksgiving, the dominoes have seemingly been falling non-stop for stores of all shapes and sizes across the Garden State.

Here’s a look at the changes we have and will be seeing throughout this year.

JoAnn

The past few weeks have not been easy for the 82-year-old chain of JoAnn stores.

Known for fabrics and craft supplies, the company recently announced it would be closing hundreds of stores across the country, however, it now appears that the chain has new owners as of this past weekend.

Published reports say that any stores that were going to close will now remain open into May.

Overall, exactly what JoAnn stores will look like under its new ownership is anybody’s guess.

Rainforest Cafe

Within the past few days, Rainforest Cafe closed its location at Menlo Park Mall in Edison after 27 years.

The heavily-decorated jungle-themed restaurant now only has one location left in New Jersey on the Atlantic City Boardwalk where Trump Plaza was.

Macy’s

We learned just a few weeks ago that Macy’s would be closing 66 stores over the next few months as they try to rebound from sluggish sales.

The good news is that all but one store in New Jersey will remain open; only their Macy’s Backstage store in the Essex Green Shopping Center on West Prospect Avenue in East Orange is shutting down.

Sadly, one of those 66 was the former John Wanamaker’s store in Center City Philadelphia.

Kohl’s

Much like Macy’s, Kohl’s is also closing multiple underperforming stores nationwide.

And also like Macy’s, New Jersey (luckily) isn’t being impacted too greatly.

Kohl’s currently has 38 stores in New Jersey, including locations in Mays Landing, Millville, and Manahawkin. The only New Jersey store scheduled to close is in East Windsor. Next door in Pennsylvania, Kohl’s is closing its store in Pottstown.

Party City

The days of running into Party City for birthday balloons, party favors, and Halloween costumes will be ending shortly.

Just before Christmas, news broke that the decades-old, New Jersey-based chain would be shutting down.

Even worse, Party City employees were told they would not be receiving severance and their benefits would be ending.

Party City has (had) 26 stores in New Jersey and 700 across the nation.

Big Lots

The past few months have been quite turbulent for Big Lots.

Several months ago, Big Lots announced it was closing numerous underperforming locations in an attempt to come out from sinking sales.

As that was happening, the chain announced a pending sale of the entire company fell through and all stores were closing.

Then, at the end of December, news broke that an asset liquidation firm was buying the chain and some 400 stores would remain open.

Economists are still waiting for the dust to settle to learn which stores will remain open.

Those closings come on the heels of big changes during 2024, which saw quite a few TGI Friday’s restaurants close, several Stop & Shop supermarkets in the middle of the state shutdown, BuyBuy Baby attempted a comeback but failed, Sam Ash music stores disappeared as did a few locations of David’s Bridal.

We should also mention the last Sears store in the Garden State closed last year, too.