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retail apocalypse

(US, economics, urban studies) The closing of numerous brick-and-mortar retail stores in the United States, especially those of large chains, beginning around 2010.

ˈɹiˌteɪl əˈpɑkəˌlɪpsDocumented since 1990s1990sMillennialhistorical92 viewsLast reviewed Jun 29, 2026+ Add a definition
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#1·Apr 27, 2026

(US, economics, urban studies) The closing of numerous brick-and-mortar retail stores in the United States, especially those of large chains, beginning around 2010.

Toys “R” Us is hardly the only retail operation to learn this lesson the hard way. The so-called retail apocalypse felled roughly 7,000 stores and eliminated more than 50,000 jobs in 2017.
Origin: First appeared in print in an essay titled ''It's Not My Department!'' in the early 1990s by author Peter Glen. Origin information sourced from Wiktionary contributors (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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