18 More Kalamazoo, Battle Creek Area Businesses That Could Be Gone By The End of the Year

Just like 2016 saw so many famous people die, 2017 seems to be the year that more and more famous business' name brands are going away. There are over a dozen that could be joining Macy's, J.C. Penny, T.G.I Friday's, Rue 21 and Lone Star Steakhouse. The names you hear most often are Sears and J.C. Penney. Penney's has already announced the exit from Lakeview Square Mall in Battle Creek, while Sears seems to be postponing the inevitable.

A story in the Palm Beach Post identified a host of stores and restaurant chains that are having varying degrees of financial problems. Some are in or flirting with bankruptcy, while others are trying to reverse continuing sales slumps. Many are retailers dealing with the now common problem of online sales replacing visits to actual stores

18 businesses from that list have locations in Southwest Michigan:

• Forever 21 (Crossroads Mall)
• Charming Charlies  (Crossroads Mall)
• Bloomin’ Brands (Outback Steakhouse/Carrabba’s/Bonefish Grill)
• Tailored Brands (Jos A bank & Men’s Wearhouse)
• Rent-A-Center (4 locations in SW Michigan)
• Guitar Center
• GNC (four location is greater Kalamazoo and BC)
• Toys R Us
• Sears
• JC Penney
• Payless Shoes Source
• Noodles and Co. (two locations in Kalamazoo)
• Lumber Liquidators
• Charlotte Russe (Crossroads)
• Elder-Beerman, (Coldwater)
• Claire’s (Crossroads)
• Ruby Tuesday’s  (Battle Creek)
• Tuesday Morning

Obviously stores have come and gone in the past, but even through the second Great Depression of 2008 through whenever it was supposed to have ended, so many well known names were able to weather the financial storm. But many just can't weather the internet.

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