# Torrid shut 177 stores. The math says it had to

> A plus-size chain closed a fifth of its shops because its own shoppers already moved online.
- Title: Torrid shut 177 stores. The math says it had to | Shortify
- Summary: A plus-size chain closed a fifth of its shops because its own shoppers already moved online. When most of your demand is digital, stores stop being a growth…
- Keywords: retail, torrid, ecommerce, store closures, plus-size fashion, business, finance, shut, 177, stores, math, Yahoo Finance
- Source: Yahoo Finance — https://finance.yahoo.com/small-business/articles/popular-womens-clothing-chain-closes-231700943.html
- Published: 2026-09-10T23:17:00+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: retail, torrid, ecommerce, store closures, plus-size fashion, business, finance
## Why people still walk in
A Chatmeter survey found 52% of shoppers pick a store over a website specifically so they can try things on. Mentions of trying or testing products rose 32% year over year.

> References to trying on/testing products surged 32% YoY on average at retailers and were up 58% at beauty retailers
## Seeing beats scrolling
Asked about their favorite part of a recent store visit, 25% said seeing a product in real life and 21% said trying one. The physical bit is the draw.
## The showroom trap
The writer bought shirts in-store, went back for more, then ordered the rest of the colors online. The store did the selling and the website took the sale.
## Torrid saw the pattern
In June 2025 Torrid told investors it would close around 180 underperforming stores out of just over 620, cutting fixed costs to fund digital growth.

> We now plan to close up to 180 underperforming stores this year
## Digital is the main store
CEO Lisa Harper said online now approaches 70% of total demand. The shops were serving a shrinking slice of how customers actually buy.

> Digital continues to be our customers' preferred channel, now approaching 70% of total demand.
## 177 doors, closed
By the second-quarter call the program was substantially done at 177 closures. Harper said retention held up as marketing pushed shoppers online or to nearby stores.

> Customer retention through this transition has remained strong
## Smaller sales, fatter margins
Net sales fell 11.8% to $231.7 million and comparable sales dropped 6.3%. But gross margin rose to 38.7% from 35.6%, and net income climbed to $5.2 million from $1.6 million.
## Brutal but necessary
Retail analyst Dominick Miserandino called the cuts an admission that hundreds of low-productivity mall leases were burning cash a digital business did not need.

> maintaining hundreds of low-productivity mall leases is just burning cash
## The market is growing
Plus-size womenswear was worth $23.6 billion in 2024 and is forecast to hit $37.4 billion by 2033. E-commerce is over 60% of sales and growing fastest.
## Retreat, not collapse
GlobalData's Neil Saunders backed the closures, saying freed-up capital goes into marketing, product, and the stores that still show potential. Torrid is shrinking to fund the channel that works.

> Money will also go into stores that are showing potential.
## Key takeaway

When most of your demand is digital, stores stop being a growth engine and start being rent you pay for a showroom.