Making a store pay is a challenge, but not all stores shut because they didn't succeed. From stores sat empty in long-forgotten ghost towns to chains that have abandoned hundreds of outlets, read on to see some derelict stores across America and the often poignant stories behind their closures.
Chloride in Sierra County, New Mexico sprung up in 1880 after Harry Pye thought he’d found his fortune when he discovered a silver ore. Word of the precious metal mine soon got out and people flocked to the town, which grew to have nine saloons, stores stocking dry goods, confectionary and fresh produce, two hotels, a laundry and a school. Sadly for the townsfolk the price of silver nosedived in the early 1900s, prompting a mass exodus from Chloride. Incredibly 27 historic buildings remain on the land, including the now-abandoned Pioneer Store, which provides a century-old snapshot of what life was like in the town all those years ago.
The discovery of gold caused people to flock to Golden in Josephine County, Oregon in the 1840s, and by the 1890s the settlement had blossomed into a fully-fledged mining town with hundreds of residents, ample housing and public buildings, which included a general store. As with many hastily established goldrush communities, tumbleweed started to blow through Golden as its population dwindled in the 1920s. The town is mostly abandoned and its remaining buildings stand on what is now an Oregon State Heritage Site.
The lifespan of the tiny town of St. Elmo in Colorado was just 40 years, after it was founded in 1880. Gold and silver mining opportunities drew in a population of up to 2,000 people within a decade and hotels, saloons and dancing halls quickly sprung up. The town also had its own general store and telegraph office. At its peak there were more than 50 working mines in the vicinity of St. Elmo. Sadly fires destroyed much of the town in 1890 and again in 1898, and the local mining industry was in serious decline by the 1920s. The railroad services to St. Elmo stopped in 1922 and the town and its stores were left all but abandoned. The frozen-in-time buildings attract around 50,000 tourists each year.
Duck Hill, Mississippi became notorious across the US in the 1930s after two Black men were brutally lynched and the story gained national publicity and condemnation. Today the rural town has a population of around 1,300 and is regularly buffeted by strong storms and intense rainfall linked to climate change. In 2017, Duck Hill residents pledged to revitalize their town and make it more economically and environmentally sustainable, but dilapidated stores such as these have yet to be brought back to life.
Garnet in Montana is home to the eponymous red, semi-precious stone, but it was the prospect of gold that drew around 1,000 residents to the area in the 1890s. At its zenith, the town had four stores, four hotels, a school and 13 saloons, but once the gold dried up, its residents shipped out. By 1940, Garnet was a ghost town. Work to restore Montana’s most intact abandoned town started in 1970, and more than 30 buildings have been preserved. Garnet is now used to teach visitors about Montana’s history.
Bodie is a town preserved in an "arrested state of decay" by California State Parks. Founded in 1859 after gold was discovered nearby, it flourished into a population of several thousand within years. But the settlement, like others of its kind, fell into decline and by the 1940s nearly everyone had left. In 1961, the Wild West ghost town was designated a National Historic Landmark. The preserved Boone Store, which dates back to 1879, contains dozens of artifacts from years gone by.
Thurmond in West Virginia was bustling with trade following the completion of the C&O Railroad and a new river bridge in the 1880s. The town’s steam engine repair shop was at the heart of the town’s thriving economy, but the municipality’s dependence on the business eventually became its downfall. A series of fires destroyed much of the town’s infrastructure in the 1920s and 1930s and then the introduction of diesel engines saw Thurmond’s steam engine repair shop rendered redundant. Custom at other local businesses dwindled and local stores and commercial properties such as these quickly hollowed out. Almost abandoned, the 2010 Census found that Thurmond had just 10 residents.
Adams in Tennessee first welcomed settlers in the 1790s, but most of the early buildings were destroyed during the Civil War. Stores and mills had been built up again by the 1880s and up until the 1960s Adams thrived thanks to its location on both Highway 41 and various railroad connections between Chicago and Miami. The highway was eventually replaced by Interstates 24 and 65 and the railroad was discontinued, which drew traffic away from Adams and caused many local businesses to shut up shop. Dilapidated store fronts still line some of the city’s streets.
This former Kmart store in Hazleton, Pennsylvania saw its last customers leave the building in 2018, and the abandoned exterior is set to become a common sight across the US as more and more outlets quietly close their doors. Despite being able to open during the coronavirus pandemic thanks to its ‘essential’ status, the company, which like Sears is owned by Transformco, hasn’t seen a boom in custom like its rival discount retailers. Kmart stores could be found in every state in 2019 when the retailer had around 360 locations, but just a few years later only a handful of stores remain nationwide.
Founded in 1948, US chain Toys "R" Us became one of the world's best-known toy brands. But with the rise of rivals such as Amazon, it faced an increasingly competitive market. Toys “R” Us filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in September 2017, and in 2018 announced that it was closing all its US and UK stores. In January 2019 the company looked set to make a big comeback when it emerged from bankruptcy as Tru Kids, but the last two US-based Toys “R” Us stores closed their doors for the final time in January 2021.
The Sears department store in Ottawa, Canada, was one of hundreds of Kmart and Sears-branded outlets closed after Sears Holdings filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in October 2018. Founded in the late 1800s and once the largest retailer in the world, Sears was bought by Kmart for $11 billion in 2004 but was hit badly by the 2008 recession and the rise of Amazon. The number of Sears stores has been dwindling for years, and like Kmart only a handful still remain open. This particular store was demolished.
All 2,500 Payless ShoeSource stores across North America were closed after the 63-year-old company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in February 2019 – the second time in three years. The company had struggled with heavy debt and cited "unanticipated delays" with its suppliers as a reason behind selling off much of its stock at heavily discounted prices. Its franchise operations and stores in Latin America were largely unaffected, and the company emerged from bankruptcy in January 2020 with plans to focus on e-commerce in the States and its international brick-and-mortar stores.
Before the COVID-19 outbreak, department store Macy’s had already committed to shutting 125 of its stores over the coming three years in an announcement made in February 2020. The closures would lead to around 2,000 layoffs, as the company looked to improve profits. In 2020, 28 Macy’s stores and one Bloomingdale’s location were shuttered, while 37 locations were set to close their doors for the final time in 2021. Some outlets will be turned into fulfilment centers to meet demand driven by online sales, but other sites, such as this one in Maryland, have been abandoned entirely.
Even America’s oldest clothing store has been rattled by the coronavirus pandemic, and it almost slipped into bankruptcy in July 2020. Brooks Brothers was then saved by brand management firm Authentic Brands and US shopping mall owner Simon Property, which acquired the brand in a $325 million deal. Brooks Brothers fans might not want to celebrate too soon though. More stores are set to be cleared out like this New York outlet, as the new owners have only agreed to keep 125 of the remaining 200 stores open.
Fry’s Electronics served customers at 31 stores across nine states – until COVID-19 hit. The economic impact of the crisis and a change in consumer habits prompted the owners to shut the family business for good. The outlets were often recognizable through their quirky designs, including this Burbank, California location, where a UFO appears to be crashing through the store.