Retail graveyard: more than 7,000 U.S. stores have closed this year Last year, 5,864 stores closed, while 3,258 opened. So far this year, 7,062 have closed, while 3,017 have opened, but U.S. retail closures could easily be 12,000 in 2019. Explain why firms are closing so many retail stores. How will the economic profit of firms in the retail market likely change? What will economic profit be in the long run? Explain your answer.