The Shocking Number: Torrid Plans To Close Up To 180 Stores In 2025—What It Means For Plus-Size Fashion
The plus-size retail landscape is undergoing a dramatic shift, and one of its biggest players, Torrid Holdings, is making a monumental move to restructure its business. As of December 19, 2025, the most significant and recent news confirms that the company has updated its store optimization plan to include the closure of up to 180 underperforming retail locations across the United States in fiscal 2025. This aggressive strategy marks a major pivot for the brand, representing nearly 30% of its total brick-and-mortar fleet, and signals a clear focus on profitability and a deeper commitment to its digital channels. The news has sent ripples through the fashion industry, leaving customers and investors alike wondering about the future of the beloved apparel chain.
The decision, which was initially rumored to involve a smaller number of closures (around 40 to 50 locations), was officially announced in conjunction with the company’s First Quarter Fiscal 2025 results. This dramatic increase in the planned closures is a direct response to a challenging retail environment, declining in-store sales, and a strategic effort to reduce fixed costs associated with underperforming locations. Torrid's leadership is framing this as a necessary, albeit difficult, step to ensure the long-term health and growth of the brand, allowing them to reinvest capital into more profitable areas like e-commerce, product development, and the remaining, high-performing physical stores. This move is part of a broader trend of retail optimization seen across the specialty apparel sector.
Torrid Holdings at a Glance: Key Company & Leadership Profile
Torrid is a leading American retail chain specializing in plus-size apparel, lingerie, and accessories for women who wear sizes 10 to 30. The brand is a cornerstone of the plus-size fashion market, known for its trendy, curve-friendly styles that cater to a demographic often underserved by mainstream fashion retailers. The company has focused on creating an inclusive and empowering shopping experience, both online and in its physical stores.
- Company Name: Torrid Holdings Inc. (NYSE: CURV)
- Headquarters: City of Industry, California, U.S.
- Founding Year: 2001 (as a division of Hot Topic)
- Parent Company History: Spun off from Hot Topic in 2015.
- CEO: Lisa Harper
- Current Store Count (Approx. Pre-Closure): Approximately 630–660 stores.
- Key Product Categories: Denim, Dresses, Tops, Outerwear, Intimates, Activewear, Swimwear.
- Core Mission: To provide fashionable, well-fitting clothing for the plus-size woman.
- Primary Market: United States and Canada (with a strong e-commerce presence).
Lisa Harper, the Chief Executive Officer, has been a driving force in the company’s strategy. Her statements regarding the closures have emphasized a commitment to profitability and a clear-eyed assessment of the company’s physical footprint. The decision to close a significant portion of the fleet is a strategic move under her leadership to streamline operations and ensure financial stability in a rapidly evolving retail landscape. The focus is on quality over quantity for the physical stores.
The Massive Restructuring: Why 180 Stores Are Closing in Fiscal 2025
The decision to close up to 180 underperforming stores in fiscal 2025 is not a sign of the company's failure, but rather a calculated restructuring designed to strengthen its long-term financial health. The initial plan, announced earlier, was to close 40 to 50 stores, making the updated figure of 180 a significant escalation of their optimization efforts. This move reflects a broader industry trend where retailers are consolidating their physical presence to focus on high-traffic, high-profit locations and their booming digital channels.
Financial and Operational Drivers Behind the Closures
Several key factors contributed to Torrid’s decision to execute such a large-scale reduction in its retail footprint:
- Reducing Fixed Costs: The primary goal, as stated by the company, is to reduce the substantial fixed costs associated with leases, utilities, and staffing for stores that are not meeting performance targets. By eliminating these financial drains, Torrid can improve its overall operating margin.
- Underperforming Locations: The 180 stores slated for closure are specifically identified as "underperforming." These are locations where sales volume and profitability are consistently low, often due to poor location, high local competition, or unfavorable lease terms. The company is prioritizing its remaining fleet of approximately 450+ stores, which are considered profitable and strategically important.
- Shift to E-commerce Dominance: Like many modern retailers, Torrid has seen its e-commerce channel grow in importance. The plus-size customer base is highly active online, valuing the convenience, vast inventory, and privacy of digital shopping. Reinvesting the savings from store closures into the e-commerce platform, digital marketing, and fulfillment logistics is a key part of the strategy.
- Declining Sales Performance: Torrid’s financial reports have shown declining net sales, particularly in the First Quarter of Fiscal 2025, with sales dropping to $266 million from $279.8 million in the same period last year. The closures are a direct response to this revenue pressure, aiming to consolidate sales into fewer, stronger channels.
The Impact on the Plus-Size Fashion Market and Customers
The closure of nearly 30% of Torrid's physical stores will have a tangible impact on the plus-size apparel market and the millions of customers who rely on the brand. Torrid has long been a destination for plus-size women (sizes 10-30), offering a wide variety of fashionable clothing that is often difficult to find in traditional department stores or smaller boutiques.
Customer Experience and Local Access
For customers whose local Torrid store is closing, the immediate impact is a loss of a crucial physical shopping option. Many plus-size shoppers prefer to try on clothes in-store to ensure proper fit, as sizing can vary dramatically across brands. The in-store experience also offers a sense of community and personalized service that is difficult to replicate online. The closures will force these customers to rely more heavily on Torrid's online store, which, while robust, cannot fully replace the tactile experience of brick-and-mortar retail.
However, the company’s intent is to use the cost savings to enhance the digital experience, which includes improving online fit guides, increasing inventory depth, and potentially speeding up shipping and returns. This investment is crucial for maintaining customer loyalty and market share in the digital age.
Topical Authority: The Retail Restructuring Trend
Torrid’s move is a powerful example of a larger trend in specialty retail known as "retail right-sizing" or "omnichannel optimization." In this model, the physical store is no longer the sole, or even primary, sales channel. Instead, stores serve as showrooms, pickup points (BOPIS—Buy Online, Pick-up In Store), and a brand experience center. By pruning its underperforming locations, Torrid is essentially creating a leaner, more efficient retail operation that is better equipped to compete with fast-fashion e-commerce giants and other established plus-size retailers like Lane Bryant and Ashley Stewart.
The focus on high-performing stores ensures that the remaining locations are those that provide the best return on investment and offer the most positive, high-traffic brand exposure. This strategic consolidation is a sign of a mature brand adapting to new consumer habits.
The Future of Torrid and Plus-Size Retail Strategy
Despite the significant number of store closures, Torrid is not signaling a retreat from the market; rather, it is executing a strategic reorganization for future growth. The company is explicitly stating that the capital saved from reducing fixed costs will be "reinvested in areas that drive long-term growth."
Key Areas for Reinvestment and Growth
The future strategy for Torrid will likely focus on several critical areas to ensure its dominant position in the plus-size sector:
- E-commerce and Digital Innovation: Expect major investments in the Torrid website, mobile app experience, and digital marketing campaigns. This will include advanced personalization, improved virtual try-on tools, and faster, more flexible fulfillment options.
- Product Expansion and Design: The company will continue to focus on its core strength: high-quality, fashion-forward clothing that fits the plus-size body correctly. This includes specialized lines like Torrid Denim, Intimates, and its popular seasonal collections.
- Supply Chain Efficiency: Streamlining the supply chain and inventory management will be crucial to maximize profitability from fewer physical locations. Efficient logistics will ensure that the remaining stores and the e-commerce platform are well-stocked with the right products at the right time.
- International Market Exploration: While the closures are focused on the U.S. and Canada, a leaner, more profitable company is better positioned to explore international expansion opportunities, likely starting with a digital-first approach in new markets.
The closure of 180 stores is a bold and aggressive move by Torrid Holdings. While it is certainly a difficult period for the employees and local communities affected by the closures, the company's leadership is betting that this significant step will result in a more agile, financially sound, and digitally competitive brand. For the plus-size customer, the focus is shifting: fewer physical touchpoints, but a promise of a more robust and profitable online experience, ensuring Torrid remains a major force in inclusive fashion for years to come.
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