COLORADO STATE - Colorado's retail landscape is undergoing a massive transformation this spring, with several major brands scaling back their brick-and-mortar footprints. Driven by shifting consumer habits, increased competition, and the lingering effects of inflation, empty storefronts are becoming a more common sight across the Centennial State. As corporate restructuring strategies take full effect, here are four major retailers that are closing locations in Colorado by May 2026.
Big 5 Sporting Goods
The sporting goods sector is facing its own wave of consolidations, and Big 5 Sporting Goods is actively shrinking its physical footprint across the West. In an effort to optimize its real estate portfolio following changes in ownership and shifting outdoor recreation sales, the retailer is shuttering multiple underperforming locations. For Colorado shoppers, this means the permanent loss of several storefronts heading into May, with recent and upcoming closures heavily impacting the Front Range, including prominent locations in Denver, Aurora, Wheat Ridge, and Fort Collins.
Eddie Bauer
The heritage outdoor apparel brand is completely disappearing from the physical retail landscape following a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing and a failure to secure a buyer. Liquidation sales have been underway nationwide, and the company is slated to permanently close all of its remaining North American stores by late spring. For Colorado, this means the loss of the brand's local footprint right before the busy summer recreation season. Following closeout sales, the state's remaining Eddie Bauer locations, including the prominent store at Colorado Mills in Lakewood, will permanently shut their doors by May, leaving sizable vacancies in local shopping centers.
Kroger
The supermarket sector is facing intense restructuring, and grocery giant Kroger is actively trimming its physical footprint across the country. In an effort to cut costs, optimize its real estate portfolio, and eliminate underperforming locations, the chain is shutting down roughly 60 stores nationwide throughout 2026. For Colorado shoppers, this corporate strategy means the loss of familiar neighborhood grocery staples this May, with at least two closures directly impacting local communities and forcing residents to alter their everyday shopping routines or travel further for their household essentials.
Francesca's
The specialty retail sector is not immune to the current economic pressures, and Francesca's is completely disappearing from the physical retail landscape. Following a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing in early 2026, the popular women's clothing boutique was unable to stabilize its finances and announced it is shuttering all of its operations nationwide. For Colorado shoppers, this means the permanent loss of local boutiques by May, leaving sizable vacancies in prominent shopping centers and outdoor lifestyle malls as the company rapidly liquidates its remaining brick-and-mortar inventory.
The retail sector in Colorado continues to evolve this spring as Big 5 Sporting Goods, Eddie Bauer, Kroger, and Francesca's permanently close select locations across the state by May 2026. These closures are heavily driven by a mix of corporate turnaround strategies, bankruptcy proceedings, changing consumer shopping habits, and ongoing efforts to combat rising operational costs. As these prominent sporting goods, apparel, and grocery brands prioritize leaner business models or cease operations entirely, local shoppers and communities will need to adapt to the changing availability of these physical stores.
