Nearly 200 Queens chain stores closed in 2020 as COVID and Amazon hammer businesses
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Chain stores like Modell’s closed in Queens and across the city in 2020. Photo via Tdorante10/wikimedia commons
By Rachel Vick
Nearly 200 chain stores in Queens shut down in 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic and online shopping continued to take a devastating toll on borough businesses, according to a new report by the Center for an Urban Future..
Overall, more than 1,000 chain stores closed permanently across the five boroughs, the report finds. The closures included 135 Metro PCS stores, 89 Sprint shops, 70 Duane Reades and 49 Starbucks locations.
“The year was marked by unprecedented economic volatility across all sectors, and within all boroughs, as the national retail market experienced unprecedented contraction as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak and subsequent shutdowns and store closures,” wrote report authors Marco Torres and Charles Shaviro.
The 198 stores that closed in Queens accounted for 11.2 percent of the total number of chain stores in the borough — the second largest decrease of the five boroughs.
Several neighborhoods were particularly impacted, the report finds. For example, more than a quarter of chain stores in Astoria zip code 11102 and Springfield Gardens zip code 11413 shut down this year. About 28 percent of JFK Airport shops also closed their doors for good.
“A little less than one out of every seven chains that were open this time last year — have closed their doors over the past twelve months, underscoring the immense difficulties facing retail businesses large and small during the pandemic,” the report states.
The number of chain stores in Manhattan decreased more than in any other borough, with 14.7 percent closing their doors for good. Manhattan closures account for 49 percent of the city’s chain store losses.
Some franchises suffered their first setbacks in years.
Dunkin’ took a hit for the first time since CUF began reporting closures 13 years ago. The coffee and donut chain shutdown 18 branches, though it still accounts for more stores in the city than any other retailer.
Only 42 chains included in the report said they showed growth, and 118 reported no changes — including FedEx Office, Foodtown and Autozone.
