The U.S. bankruptcies have soared to levels not seen in years. Through the first seven months of 2025, 446 large companies have gone under. That number is 12% above the 2020 pandemic wave and the highest for this stretch since 2010. July alone saw 71 filings, the highest single-month count since the COVID-19 shock.
Brands that dominated the 1990s have been quietly fading away. Once a staple of shopping malls and suburban strips, names like Forever 21, Joann's, Rite Aid, Party City, and Claire's have all gone out of business in 2025.
