With online shopping becoming more utilized by today’s generation, physical stores like Greetings and Readings, JoAnn Fabrics, and Toys ¨R¨ Us are shutting down across the county because of a loss of profit.  

By 2026, 50,000-80,000 stores are set to close across the nation. These stores have a lot of competition because since the pandemic in 2020, consumers have turned to online shopping as a more safe and efficient way to buy items without risk of contamination. Lizzie O´Reilly has turned to shopping online exclusively  

¨ [Online shopping] Has advanced to the point where there isn´t a single thing that you can´t get online that you could get in a store, ¨ O´Reilly (´23) said.  

Toys R Us first closed its doors in June of 2018, but its website remained open. During the pandemic, they tried to relaunch, but ended up failing. They continue to remain open online but walking into the store filled with toys galore is no longer an option.  

In 2019, Hunt Valley’s Greetings and Readings, one of the largest bookstores in Baltimore, closed because of an increase in online shopping. Students across Hereford can recall the middle school experience of going to Hunt Valley on Friday nights, walking around the town center and shopping with their friends. With only a few stores to shop in left, today’s generation won’t be able to have the same experience. 

On the contrary, JoAnn fabrics has decided to only close eight out of its more than 800 stores over the next couple of months, but they will not be going out of business as a whole. But the craft store where students would get their arts and crafts is no more. 

Shopping online has become more convenient over the last two years. According to Tutorials Point, going online has a better chance of you getting the products you want, with more availability and styles, rather than going in person, with limited stock and sizes. Shopping in store allows a person to view the product rather than seeing it through a screen.  

“I like going shopping in stores, but I understand because online shopping is so easy and more affordable sometimes,” Ryan Krucenski (‘24) said.  

Another pitfall is many employees are losing their jobs as a result which leaves them stranded for a job with little time to find a new one, which can end up as a loss of profit. It also makes it harder for Hereford students to try to find a place of work or to be able to hang out with friends and experience trying and buying new things.  

With Hereford’s childhood stores closing, students must find alternatives to shopping at their favorite stores. While not all stores are shutting their doors, it is still sad to see the “Closing Soon” banner across stores in the area.