• Business bankruptcies have been on the rise in recent years, and the retail sector hasn't been immune.
• Storied brands like Saks and Eddie Bauer are using the protections to look for a new path forward.
• Here are some notable cases so far in 2026.

Some legendary retail brands have filed for bankruptcy in the early months of 2026.

US business bankruptcies have been on the rise in recent years, according to an S&P Global Market Intelligence analysis. First-quarter filings in 2026 marked the second-highest level since 2010, trailing only the same period last year. Among the 180 bankruptcies tracked in the first three months of the year, about two dozen were consumer discretionary and staples companies.

Uncertainty around consumer spending, inflation, and US tariff policy is likely to lead to higher restructuring levels throughout the year, S&P Global Market Intelligence said in April.

Bankruptcy isn't necessarily the end of the line for a company. Several companies, such as Saks Global and Eddie Bauer, are using the protections to reshape their businesses and focus on areas of potential growth this year.

Here are some notable retail bankruptcy cases that are unfolding in 2026, listed in order of initial filing.

Saks Global — filed in January, financing deal reached in April

Saks Global has been one of the higher-profile retail bankruptcy cases this year. After weeks of public speculation, the luxury store voluntarily filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in January.

The owner of Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus has since said it would close some US stores, focusing more on luxury and less on off-price retail, such as its Saks Off Fifth and Neiman Marcus Last Call locations.

In April, Saks Global said it resolved a dispute with key landlord Simon Property Group and also received court approval to raise up to $500 million from a group of investors.

Saks Global aims to exit bankruptcy this summer.

Pat McGrath Labs — filed in January, exited in April

Cosmetics brand Pat McGrath Labs — sold in stores like Sephora, Ulta Beauty, and Nordstrom — said in April that it had completed a Chapter 11 process that it began in January. Founder Pat McGrath, known for styling top models, is staying on as chief creative officer.

The company said it received $65 million of financing and support that would allow it to pursue a new chapter of growth.

Fat Brands — filed in January, case proceeding

Fat Brands, the parent company of burger joints like Fatburger and Johnny Rockets, filed for Chapter 11 in January to restructure about $1 billion in debt.

The company cited a "challenging operating environment over the last few years" and said its 18 brands and 2,200 restaurants would remain operating as usual during the bankruptcy process.

A sale of the business could come as early as May.

Francesca's — filed in February, liquidation in March

Women's fashion retailer Francesca's once again filed for Chapter 11 in February, a few years after it was acquired out of an earlier bankruptcy.

With about $30 million in secured debt, as much as $100 million in liabilities, and no buyer, the company said in March that it would liquidate all inventory and close all 457 stores.

Eddie Bauer — filed in February, case proceeding

Outdoor retailer Eddie Bauer filed for Chapter 11 in February. Catalyst Brands, which owned Eddie Bauer's US and Canadian retail operations, said it needed to wind down the brand's nearly 200 stores after failing to find a buyer.

The bankruptcy does not affect Eddie Bauer's manufacturing, wholesale, or e-commerce operations, nor its retail business outside the US and Canada. Japan is home to several Eddie Bauer stores.

QVC — filed in April, expected exit in July

Home-shopping company QVC Group said in April that it was entering Chapter 11 to restructure its finances for QVC, HSN, and Cornerstone Brands.

The company said it plans to continue operating as usual with no planned layoffs or furloughs. The move is expected to last about 90 days and leave the company with $1.3 billion in debt, down from $6.6 billion.

QVC and HSN popularized TV-based shopping, but the company has faced stiff competition as audiences shift toward social-shopping platforms like TikTok Shop.

• Target is calling about 150 remote workers back to its Minneapolis headquarters.
• The relocation mandate impacts workers within its merchandising division.
• The retailer, which brought on a new CEO earlier this year, has been working to turn the business around.

Target is calling more remote workers back to its headquarters.

The retailer is requiring about 150 remote workers within two teams in its merchandising group to relocate to Minneapolis, a spokesperson confirmed to Business Insider. Bloomberg earlier reported the news.

The company is offering relocation assistance to those who decide to move and severance to those who choose not to.

A company spokesperson said in a statement that "increased in-person collaboration across a core part of our merchandising team will help us reinforce our merchandising authority, unlocking greater creativity and enabling us to move faster to deliver on our strategy."

The retailer, which brought on a new CEO earlier this year, is in the midst of a turnaround strategy to revive growth, and improving its merchandise is a pillar of that effort.

The relocation mandate comes as more companies, such as Amazon and AT&T, have been calling workers back into the office in recent years. Target last year ramped up in-office days for employees already based in Minneapolis.

Target does not have a companywide mandate and has left in-office requirements to team leaders.

Have a tip? Contact this reporter via email at dreuter@businessinsider.com or text/call/Signal at 646-768-4750. Use a personal email address, a nonwork WiFi network, and a nonwork device; here's our guide to sharing information securely.

• Saks Global is closing more stores, including locations of its flagship brand and Neiman Marcus.
• In January, Saks filed for bankruptcy after failing to pay vendors for over a year.
• The company says it is now focusing on the luxury sector.

Saks Global, the bankrupt company behind Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, and Bergdorf Goodman, is continuing to close stores.

In March, the company said it would close 10 Saks Fifth Avenue and two Neiman Marcus locations. The news came after a February announcement that it would close eight Saks Fifth Avenue stores and one Neiman Marcus, as well as nearly all of its Saks Off Fifth and Neiman Marcus Last Call locations.

Following the closures, only 15 Saks Fifth Avenue locations will remain open, according to an updated press release. Thirty-three Neiman Marcus stores will continue operating, the company said.

"Our go-forward store portfolio will comprise the best performing and most desirable locations in markets with the highest concentration of luxury customers," Geoffroy van Raemdonck, Saks Global's new CEO, said in a statement announcing the closures.

Word of the latest wave of closures came with some good news for the company: More than 500 brands have resumed shipping to Saks' retailers after the company had struggled with inventory for months.

"The Company has reached or nearly reached agreements with more than 175 brands across all categories," the statement said.

In January, Saks Global filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection following a year marked by missed payments and restructuring. The company owes hundreds of millions of dollars to brands like Chanel and LVMH.

As part of its turnaround plan, Saks said in January that it was "sharpening its focus on luxury" and would close the majority of its discount stores.

Saks Off 5th's website, a separate legal entity from Saks Global, hosted a liquidation sale and is shutting down.

Earlier in January, Saks shut down a facility in Florida and said it would lay off at least 74 positions.

Here is the full list of Saks Fifth Avenue, Saks Off 5th, Neiman Marcus, and Last Call locations closing:

Saks Fifth Avenue locations closing:

1. The Summit (Birmingham, AL)

2. Polaris Fashion Place (Columbus, OH)

3. American Dream (East Rutherford, NJ)

4. Shops at Canal Place (New Orleans, LA)

5. Bala Plaza (Philadelphia, PA)

6. Biltmore Fashion Park (Phoenix, AZ)

7. Stony Point Fashion Park (Richmond, VA)

8. Utica Square (Tulsa, OK)

9. Beachwood Place (Beachwood, OH)

10. Wisconsin Avenue (Chevy Chase, MD)

11. Michigan Avenue (Chicago, IL)

12. South Coast Plaza (Costa Mesa, CA)

13. Las Vegas Boulevard (Las Vegas, NV)

14. Long Island (Huntington Station, NY)

15. Triangle Town Center (Raleigh, NC)

16. North Star Mall (San Antonio, TX)

17. Plaza Frontenac (St. Louis, MO)

18. Tysons Galleria (Tysons, VA)

Neiman Marcus locations closing:

1. Copley Place (Boston, MA)

2. Ala Moana (Honolulu, HI)

3. Topanga (Canyon Park, CA)

Saks Off 5th locations closing

1. Mebane (Mebane, NC)

2. Charleston (Charleston, SC)

3. Grand Prairie (Grand Prairie, TX)

4. Ala Moana (Honolulu, HI)

5. Petaluma (Petaluma, CA)

6. Glendale (Glendale, AZ)

7. Tucson (Tucson, AZ)

8. Merrimack (Merrimack, NH)

9. Riverhead (Riverhead, NY)

10. Clinton (Clinton, CT)

11. North Atlanta (Woodstock, GA)

12. Aurora Chicago (Aurora, IL)

13. Dallas Park (Dallas, TX)

14. Northbrook (Northbrook, IL)

15. Eagan (Eagan, MN)

16. Columbus (Columbus, OH)

17. San Diego (San Diego, CA)

18. Camarillo (Camarillo, CA)

19. Ontario (Ontario, CA)

20. Milpitas (Milpitas, CA) 21. State Street (Chicago, IL)

22. Stamford High Ridge (Stamford, CT)

23. Greenburgh (Greenburgh, NY)

24. Arundel (Hanover, MD)

25. Hawaii (Honolulu, HI)

26. Palm Desert (Palm Desert, CA)

27. Scottsdale (Scottsdale, AZ)

28. Phoenix (Chandler, AZ)

29. Eastchester (Eastchester, NY)

30. Bridgewater (Bridgewater, NJ)

31. Clarksburg (Clarksburg, MD)

32. Deer Park (Deer Park, NY)

33. Shrewsbury (Shrewsbury, NJ)

34. Elizabeth (Elizabeth, NJ)

35. Boston (Somerville, MA)

36. Wrentham (Wrentham, MA)

37. Orlando Vineland (Vineland, FL)

38. Naples Park Shore (Naples, FL)

39. Orlando (Orlando, FL)

40. Tampa (Lutz, FL)

41. Ellenton (Ellenton (Tampa), FL)

42. Destin (Destin, FL)

43. Charlotte (Charlotte, NC)

44. Atlanta (Woodstock, GA)

45. Hilton Head (Bluffton, SC)

46. Rosemont (Rosemont, IL)

47. Cypress (Cypress, TX)

48. Sugarland (Sugarland, TX)

49. Katy (Katy, TX)

50. Costa Mesa (Costa Mesa, CA)

51. Beverly Connection (Los Angeles, CA)

52. Woodland Hills (Woodland Hills, CA)

53. Las Vegas N (Las Vegas, NV)

54. Livermore (Livermore, CA)

55. San Antonio (San Antonio, TX)

56. Cabazon (Cabazon, CA)

57. Las Vegas S (Las Vegas, NV)

Last Call locations closing:

1. Sawgrass Mills (Sunrise, FL)

2. Desert Hills Premium Outlets (Cabazon, CA)

3. Grapevine Mills (Grapevine, TX)

4. San Marcos Premium Outlets (San Marcos, TX)

5. The Outlets at Orange (Orange, CA)

Update: April 7, 2026 — This story has been updated to include the latest number of Saks Fifth Avenue locations that will remain open.

• Target used to have one of retail's top mobile apps, but competitors are catching up.
• Over the past year, the company has quietly rolled out several AI-powered shopper-friendly features.
• I tried them out and found three ways the refreshed app makes shopping easier.

Target's mobile app has long been one of the company's not-so-secret weapons.

The retailer was an early mover among its brick-and-mortar peers to seriously invest in its digital business. The app drove Target's early success in curbside pickup and continues to serve as a hub for its membership programs.

I started shopping at Target much more often when my first daughter was born during the pandemic, and I often wished more retailers had apps as useful as the one with the Bullseye logo. The store map was a particular timesaver for me during a very busy time in my family's life.

In recent years, the competition has stepped up to narrow Target's lead, or in some cases, surpass it.

From scan-and-go self-checkout in the Walmart and Sam's Club apps, to Lowe's and Home Depot helping shoppers find and learn more about products in their stores, mobile apps have evolved into much more than a pocket-sized version of the company's website.

Not every store's app needs the same features, but it was starting to look like Target was losing its advantage.

Roughly one-fifth of Target's merchandise sales last year were made via web or app, or more than $21 billion. Beyond the e-commerce factor, good apps matter because shoppers are still very much going into stores, only now they're more likely to have a phone in hand while they fill their carts.

"About a third of our guests are using their app in the store," Target's chief revenue and digital officer, Sarah Travis, said at a meeting with investors and media at the company's Minneapolis headquarters earlier this month, which I attended.

Travis showed how Target has responded to this shift with several new, user-friendly features intended to make shopping easier. I was surprised to see these upgrades had been rolled out so quietly.

Unlike Target's flashy partnerships with Google or OpenAI, these new features involve more subtle integrations of artificial intelligence to supercharge common tasks.

"Target's unique opportunity is to think holistically about guest experience," Travis said, referring to this blended digital and physical approach to shopping. "The experience that you get today is vastly different than the experience that you would have gotten six months ago."

Once I got home, I decided to try them for myself. The features aren't all exclusive to Target, but three struck me as much-needed additions to the app experience — especially if Target wants to get shoppers to come back.

A handwritten list scanner

Like physical stores, the paper (or whiteboard) grocery list is still very much a reality for many US households.

I can't speak for everyone, but my family rarely makes grocery lists with detailed branding or package info — we list items in general terms like "milk" rather than "Fairlife 2% Organic Lactose Free Milk — 52 fl oz."

Now, in the My Target tab in the app, there's an option to "scan a paper list," which uses the phone's camera to capture handwritten text.

Once the app processes the image, it pulls up to 20 relevant product listings per list item to either add to an in-app basket or shopping list, turning your handwritten notes into an order that you or someone else can fulfill with precision.

It worked pretty well when I tried it, except when the app assumed I was looking for a women's or children's shirt and didn't show any men's options. My paper list just said "T-shirt," so I could have been more specific.

The buy it again tab

Another more prominent tool enhances a preexisting app feature and gives it prominent placement as a tab on the main screen.

Target's app has long made it easy to find past orders and add selected items to your cart. That's still an option, but now the app highlights frequently purchased items, items with active discounts, and stuff you bought a while ago that might be running low.

The tailored experience means that no two shoppers have the same experience, Travis said, adding that the feature "has essentially become a speed run for weekly essentials."

In a few taps, you can be restocked and ready to go.

A more helpful map

In my experience, one of the Target app's most useful features — by far — is its mapping tool that shows where to find a product in a sprawling store. This is especially helpful when traveling or when I have to go to a location across town.

When Home Depot rolled out its own version, called Store Mode, I found myself wishing Target had something to match. Now it does, thanks to the same geolocation startup, which says it also provides the service for Dick's Sporting Goods.

With the recent upgrade (and location sharing turned on), the app now prompts in-store customers to enter "Store mode," which enables a batch of map-based features, including where to find current deals and promotions.

In the "List" tab, rather than having to hunt for items one-by-one, everything on your in-app list (that you scanned earlier) shows up as a pin on the store map, helping plan a path to get what you came in for without bouncing all over the place.

It's a win for Target as well. "When guests use store mode, their baskets grow by more than 7%," Travis said.

These upgrades show that Target's app is still in the game with one of the most useful shopping apps around, and I can see it saving time and money on my next Target run.