It's Make-or-Break Christmas for These Struggling Retailers

  • Year-end holiday season putting more pressure on ailing chains
  • J. Crew, Claire’s and Bon-Ton could face liquidity stress
The Death of the Department Store
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The holiday season is always a pressure cooker for retailers, but this year promises to be more stressful than usual.

With foot traffic dwindling and more consumers shopping online, brick-and-mortar chains are having to fight harder for customers. Many U.S. retailers also are laboring under a mountain of debt, turning the season into a high-stakes fight for survival.