Could Lubbock Lose a Carter’s Store as the Company Closes Locations Nationwide?

A longtime favorite among parents,  Carter’s is facing another round of nationwide store closures, sparking concern among shoppers in Lubbock who rely on the retailer for affordable and high-quality baby clothing. The company, which operates several brands including OshKosh B’gosh and Skip Hop, confirmed it will continue to reduce physical locations through 2025 in a recent earnings report.

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Carter’s Decision Impacted By Tariffs

Douglas C. Palladini, Chief Executive Officer & President, stated that, "elevated product costs, in part due to the impact of higher tariffs, as well as additional investment, weighed meaningfully on our profitability."

The fiscal report went on to describe how the company would navigate the tariffs, including passing costs on to consumers:

Over time, the Company intends to partially offset these additional costs through a combination of changes to its product assortments, cost sharing with its vendor partners, changes to the mix of its production by country, and raising prices to end consumers and its wholesale customers

And while Carter's wasn't in the red, it wasn't as profitable as it felt it should be, given that it is a publicly traded company that answers to shareholders.

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What This Could Mean for Lubbock Families

About 8% of Carter's stores will close as a result of this readjustment. From what I've seen over the last few years of retail culling, Lubbock is generally saved from losing its stores, which I believe is because we are an island unto ourselves, and any big city is several hours away. Of course, this is anecdotal, and it will likely come down to how well our store is performing.

The move toward clothing being sold more and more online is obnoxious to me as a consumer, and if I were buying clothing, particularly for an infant, I would want to feel if it's soft enough and see if it's the right size. Two different 3-month-olds can be extremely different sizes, after all. Here's hoping Lubbock parents will get to keep the option of shopping in-store.