Thousands of stores are closing across the country, but analysts say thousands more need to shut down - here's how many, according to store type

• Retailers across all sectors are fighting an uphill battle against falling brick-and-mortar sales.
• Analysts suggest that in an effort to bolster e-commerce sales and prevent further losses, companies need to be smart about closing and consolidating physical retail stores.
• Though the number of suggested closures varies widely sector, a recent UBS report found that all areas of retail could benefit from having fewer stores.
• More than 7,000 store closures have been announced so far in 2019.
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Physical retailers across all sectors of the industry have undeniably felt the sting of declining foot traffic and rising e-commerce sales.

Today, shoppers are spending more money than ever online - a recent UBS report states that online spend per US household was $5,200 in 2018, compared to $3,500 five years ago. An increasing number of companies are closing stores nationwide - more than 7,000 store closures have been announced so far in 2019 - though analysts said they're not shuttering them fast enough.

"More than 15,000 stores across various subsectors have been shuttered or announced to be closed in the last two years," analysts wrote in the report. "As underperforming retail stores are shuttered, it should help the store productivity of surviving locations."

Read more: The retail apocalypse is far from over as analysts predict 75,000 more store closings

In order to help brands curb the impact of the retail apocalypse and set their sights on improving online sales, UBS analysts provided a blueprint of recommended store closures for each retail subsector through 2026. Ultimately, analysts said the closures would help brands better focus their efforts, which will be particularly valuable in allowing them to identify a unique advantage in a rising field of competitors.

"Consumers are shopping fewer retailers, which means differentiation is essential to remain relevant," the report stated.

Here's how many more stores the UBS analysts recommended closing by 2026, according to sector: