GNC has closed hundreds of stores in the last 3 years: See a list of locations that have lost the most
Years ago, stocking up on protein powder and herbal supplements meant stopping by your local GNC store, but that option is quickly disappearing for local communities around the country. Six years after it was acquired out of bankruptcy by a China-based pharmaceutical company, the once-ubiquitous nutrition and wellness retailer continues to shrink its U.S. physical footprint, a recently released…
GNC, once a prominent nutrition and wellness retailer with more than 5,000 U.S. stores, has been experiencing a significant decline in its physical presence over the past three years. The company, which was acquired by a Chinese pharmaceutical group in 2020, now operates 1,960 locations, a decline of 340 stores since 2023 alone. The majority of GNC's stores are company-owned, with the highest concentrations in California, Florida, and Texas.
The store closures have been most pronounced in Florida (-42 stores), Texas (-40 stores), California (-20 stores), Ohio (-20 stores), and Georgia (-17 stores). These declines have been attributed to GNC's efforts to adjust its store footprint in response to a shifting retail landscape, which has increasingly favored online retailers and larger chains like Target and Walmart.
GNC has also been investing heavily in its digital operations, recently hiring a former Gap Inc. executive to lead its modernization efforts. However, despite these changes, the company did not plan to open any new stores this year.
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