Macy's and JCPenney are kicking off 2019 with a string of store closings

AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews

Macy's is closing stores.

• JCPenney and Macy's kicked off the year with store closings. The two department-store chains are looking to trim down on expensive real estate to cut costs and boost growth.
• Embattled retailer Sears has also announced more than 260 store closings since it filed for bankruptcy in October. With a possible liquidation looming, it may be forced to shutter its entire fleet.

Department stores are kicking off the new year with a string of store closings.

On Tuesday, JCPenney reported disappointing holiday sales numbers and announced that it would be closing three stores in the spring. More would follow, it said, adding that these would be announced in its upcoming quarterly earnings results in February.

JCPenney isn't alone. Macy's has quietly announced a string of store closings in the upcoming months, including one store in Massachusetts, its last remaining store in Wyoming, and at least three in Indianapolis.

A spokesperson for Macy's did not respond to Business Insider's request for comment.

Since filing for bankruptcy in October, Sears has announced it would be closing over 260 stores. But with a possible liquidation now looming, its entire fleet is at risk.

Read more: Sears is getting one last chance to save itself from oblivion

These department-store chains have come under pressure as spending increasingly shifts online and foot traffic to stores slows. Retailers have filed for bankruptcy at record-high rates in recent years. 16 well-known retailers including Sears, Nine West, Toys R Us, and Mattress Firm all filed for bankruptcy protection in 2018.