Store closures plummeted after the holiday shopping season

• Retailers announced 742 store closures Jan. 1–28, down 65% from the same period in 2021, according to a new report by Coresight Research, which tracks retail closings.

Yes, but: One reason for fewer closures in 2022 is that so many shops closed in 2020 and early 2021, with major bankruptcies including JCPenney, Neiman Marcus and Brooks Brothers.

Meanwhile: The data comes as e-commerce companies and online direct-to-consumer brands have launched brick-and-mortar store strategies.

• Online eyeglass retailer Warby Parker has talked about opening 700 more physical stores in the coming years, while Amazon is launching its first-ever physical apparel store later this year in Los Angeles.

What we're watching: Whether the wave of store closures has truly slowed, and whether retailers have found a new balance in their online and brick-and-mortar strategies.