Zumiez Closes Stores, Boosts Online Presence

0:00It's March 27th. This is Durham News Today, AI-powered stories from your city. Zumi is, the go-to retailer for Tina Perl, footwear and gear since 1978, plans to close 25 stores in fiscal 20. 26. That includes 20 in North America and 5 overseas. The company now runs 716 locations worldwide, with over 560 in the United States alone. These moves target underperforming spots in weaker malls as part of a bigger optimization push. Even with fewer stores, sales keep climbing. In the fourth quarter of fiscal 2025, net sales rose 4.4% year over year, and comparable sales grew 2.2%. For the full year ending January 2026, U.S. sales jumped 5.5% across most regions. Leaders expect about $12 million in lost sales from the closures, but still forecast low single-digit growth overall. Shoppers and execs see this as the tail end of a mall shakeout.

1:01Lower tier malls just aren't drawing crowds like before, pushing brands toward stronger sites. Meanwhile, mall visits ticked up slightly last year, with indoor spots up 1.3% and outdoor ones up 0.6% thanks to more family experiences and dining. Zumiez boosted confidence with a $40 million share buyback, announced March 11, 2026, signaling the stock looks. Undervalued, analysts are split, with some upgrading to buy on solid margins and execution, though shares sit 14.5% lower year to date amid. Market jitters, by trimming weak links and leaning into online and top locations, Zumiez stays nimble in a retail world-favoring efficiency over sheer size.