The TikTok effect: How viral trends are changing visual merchandising
Friday, May 29, 2026
| Torrid to close 30 stores as optimization program enters final phase |
| Published Thursday, March 26, 2026 11:00 am |
This is a summary
"Torrid Holdings Inc. is ready to begin its next chapter.
The retailer, which specializes in apparel and intimates for young women sizes 10 to 30, is on track to close 30 stores by the end of the first half of 2026. In June 2025, Torrid revealed plans to close up to 180 underperforming locations part of a store optimization program. It completed 85% of the closures, or 151 stores, last year.
“We expect to close up to an additional 30 stores by the end of the first half of fiscal 2026, at which point the program will be substantially complete,” Torrid CFO Paula Dempsey said on the companys fourth quarter earnings call. “Customer retention rates from closed locations have performed consistently with historical levels, validating both the network strategy and the underlying brand health. Our customers are finding us where we remain open and online."
Read the original on Chain Store Age
Torrid to close 30 stores as optimization program enters final phase | Chain Store Age
Image credit to Chain Store Age
The average viral trend on TikTok lasts just five to 10 days before attention shifts, and with 42% of Gen Z consumers in the U.S. discovering new products on TikTok, brands need to move much faster than the traditional six to 24 month product-to-shelf timeline. TikTok has become a powerful launchpad for products with over 1.04 billion active monthly users, putting retail cycles into overdrive as brands capitalize on the platform's ability to spark viral moments and drive high demand. Examples include chef influencer Tineke Younger's viral mac and cheese recipe leading to a Nestlé Carnation collaboration for limited-edition Kickin' Jalapeño Flavored Evaporated Milk, and the infamous "Labubu" dolls generating 1.4 million-plus TikTok posts leading to chaotic scenes in UK stores. Gen Z-focused brands like Halara, Edikted, and Cider are testing physical retail through pop-up stores to create immersive brand experiences and translate TikTok buzz into real-world engagement using temporary store formats with flexible fixture setups and trend-responsive visuals.
The University of Michigan Index of Consumer Sentiment fell 10% in May 2026 to 44.8, marking the third consecutive monthly decline and dropping just below the previous historical low seen in June 2022, as supply disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz continued to lift gasoline prices. The Current Conditions Index plunged 12.8% to 45.8 and is down 22% year-over-year, while the Index of Consumer Expectations declined 8.3% to 44.1, with consumers anticipating business conditions will worsen over both short and long time horizons. Nearly 40% of consumers offered unsolicited comments about gas prices during interviews, up from 33% the previous month, with lower-income consumers and those without college degrees posting particularly strong declines as these groups are more sensitive to increases in gas costs, which have risen sharply by more than 50% since the start of the Iran conflict. Consumers expect prices to rise 4.8% over the next year, up from 4.7% in April, with longer-term inflation expectations also climbing sharply, raising concerns that inflation will spread beyond fuel prices even in the long run
Retail sales rose for the seventh consecutive month in April 2026 despite rising gas prices and persistent inflation, with core retail sales increasing 0.34% month-over-month and 5.53% year-over-year according to the CNBC/NRF Retail Monitor. Total retail sales, excluding automobile dealers and gasoline stations, rose 0.34% month-over-month and 5.73% year-over-year, with spending supported by a steady labor market, wage growth, and significant tax refunds. Clothing stores led all retail categories with a 9.75% year-over-year increase, followed by sporting goods stores at 8.55% and health and personal care stores at 8.42%, while building and garden supply stores were the only category to decline year-over-year, falling 2.74%. For the first four months of 2026, total sales were up 6.07% year-over-year and core sales increased 5.99%, though April's growth slowed slightly from March's gains of 0.4% month-over-month and 6.59% year-over-year.