Plus-size retailer Torrid — which has 16 stores in New Jersey — announced plans to close 180 brick-and-mortar locations across the U.S.

The closures come as the chain grapples with a shift to ecommerce, as well as competition from other plus-size rivals.

Torrid CEO Lisa Harper said during a recent earnings call that 70% of customers are shopping for the store's products on its website. The chain also has expectations of a 5% decrease in quarterly sales compared to the first quarter of 2024.

Torrid, a plus-size clothing store, at the Christiana Mall in Wilmington, Delaware.

All told, those factors raise “the question over how many stores Torrid needs to serve customers,” Neil Saunders, a retail analyst and managing director of retail at GlobalData, told NorthJersey.com July 8.

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“The closures are largely sensible since they will free up capital to invest in things like better marketing and product developments," Saunders said. "Money will also go into stores that are showing potential."

Competitors such as Old Navy are better located, he continued, while online stores including Eloquii are “easy and convenient to explore the range.”

“Torrid has exposure to some weaker malls where footfall has been declining,” he continued.

What Torrid locations are closing?

Representatives from Torrid did not immediately respond July 8 about which locations are among the 180 that will close by the end of 2025. The total store count is 632, down from 658 in May 2024, according to a Torrid earnings report.

Here is the rundown of Torrid stores in New Jersey, though it's not clear if any of these stores will close this year:

Torrid Paramus Park, Paramus
Torrid Willowbrook Mall, Wayne
Torrid Quaker Bridge Mall, Lawrenceville
Torrid Clifton Towne Square, Clifton
Torrid Cherry Hill Mall, Cherry Hill
Torrid Woodbridge Center, Woodbridge
Torrid Clark Commons, Clark
Torrid Jersey Gardens, Elizabeth
Torrid Deptford Mall, Deptford
Torrid Summerhill Square, East Brunswick
Torrid Rockaway Commons, Rockaway
Torrid Interstate Shopping Center, Ramsey
Torrid Livingston Shopping Center, Livingston
Torrid Hamilton Mall, Mays Landing
Torrid Bridgewater Commons, Bridgewater
Torrid American Dream, East Rutherford

Torrid joins other plus-size clothing stores closing

Torrid is not the only plus-size clothing chain that has shuttered locations.

In 2020, Lane Bryant, an Ohio-based plus-size retailer, closed 157 physical locations and in 2019, Avenue closed all of its physical stores — both closures a part of bankruptcy protections.

Both Lane Bryant and Avenue continue to operate their online shops.

Long list of chains that have closed or reduced footprints

The company joins a long list of brick-and-mortar stores that have recently shut down or drastically curtailed operations, including Stop & Shop, Big Lots, buybuy Baby, Family Dollar, Rite Aid, CVS, Bed Bath & Beyond, Joann fabric and crafts, and Christmas Tree Shops.

Forever 21, which has 15 New Jersey stores, declared bankruptcy in April and announced plans to close all its stores.

This article contains material from USA Today

Daniel Munoz covers business, consumer affairs, labor and the economy for NorthJersey.com and The Record.