Retailers saw sales rise a bit in January, but the outlook is still dreary. The National Retail Federation doesn’t think the stimulus bill will do enough to get consumers shopping again. In a letter to Congress, the NRF suggests that tax holidays might do the trick. We agree, but we think Congress might as well crumble that letter up and throw it away… it’s not like tax holidays are a new idea, so if they haven’t been implemented by now (in the majority of US states), it’s probably hopeless. Meanwhile, more and more retailers are on the brink of closing more and more stores. Here are some of the latest retailers to make the gloomy headlines.

Nike—cutting jobs
Claire’s—getting closer to Chapter 11
Georgina Boutique—popular NY retailer to shut down
S&K Menswear—has filed for Chapter 11

So, no major store closings to announce this week… but unfortunately, they seem to be on the horizon.

Take a look back on retailers that have suffered over the past month:
February 9th Report
February 4th Report
January 23rd Report