The so-called “Retail Apocalypse” is now a lived reality in the United States. By the end of 2025, around 15,000 stores are expected to shut their doors—almost double the closures from the year before, setting a grim new record. Major chains including Rite Aid, Walgreens, Macy’s, Foot Locker, Family Dollar, and several department store groups are scaling back or vanishing entirely from malls and shopping streets across the country.
Behind this collapse lies a fundamental shift in how people shop. The dominance of e-commerce, with its speed and ease of delivery, has permanently changed consumer behaviour. Add to that the weight of inflation, rising wages, shifting demographics, and years of over-expansion, and many American retailers have found their physical stores unsustainable. What’s unfolding isn’t a temporary crisis—it’s a structural transformation of the retail landscape.
And the shockwaves are already reaching the Adria region. While store closures haven’t hit at the same dramatic scale, the signs are unmistakable. More people across Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, and the wider region are choosing to shop online—not just for gadgets and clothes, but increasingly for groceries and everyday items. E-commerce platforms, delivery apps, and foreign webshops are rapidly gaining ground, changing what local consumers expect from retailers. In parallel, retail chains in countries like Croatia and Serbia are seeing rising operating costs and uneven foot traffic, prompting some to quietly reduce locations or shrink store formats.
If the U.S. offers a glimpse of the future, the Adria region may be next in line. Retailers who fail to adapt to the new expectations of speed, value, and convenience may soon find their doors closing too.
