Fashion retailers Talbots and Pacific Sunwear will shut their non-core chains as US retailers are forced to streamline their businesses in order to survive tough trading conditions.

Talbots will close its Talbots Mens and Talbots Kids stores to focus on its key over-35 female customers.

There will be 78 closures in the US, including 66 Talbots Kids and 12 Talbots Mens stores, affecting about 800 staff. It is expected to hit annual sales by about US$100 million (£50.7 million). The retailer operates 1,428 stores in the US, Canada and the UK.

Teen clothing retailer Pacific Sunwear will close its remaining 154 Demo stores “as soon as is practical”. Last year, it announced that 74 underperforming Demo stores and One Thousand Steps shoe shops would shut.

Pacific Sunwear chief executive Sally Frame said: “It is in the best interests of our investors to close our remaining Demo stores and concentrate efforts on our core businesses.” The retailer will be left with its PacSun and PacSun Outlet stores.

Planet Retail global research director Bryan Roberts said that the closures have come during challenging times for the US apparel market as consumers continue to rein in spending.

“Retailers are increasingly playing to their strengths. The era of empire building and branching out into many weird and wonderful areas is at an end,” he said.

He added: “With big discounters strengthening their position, the middle-market is having to leave speciality sectors for key areas and what they do best.”

Meanwhile, department store chain Macy’s has also borne the brunt of challenging trading conditions and will close nine stores.

Macy’s chairman Terry Lundgren said: “While the decision to close stores is difficult, it is necessary that we do so selectively in locations with declining sales and where we have been unable to identify sufficient growth opportunities.”

This year, the retailer expects to open five stores.

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