"New data shows that more retailers are opening more stores than are closing them." ICSC just released a report by the IHL Group, that reviewed 1,660 national retail chains and that finds "roughly five retail chains are opening stores for every single retailer that is closing them this year... The firm also reports that the number of chains adding stores in 2019 has increased by 56 percent, while the number of chains closing them has decreased by 66 percent."
You can read ICSC's analysis of the entire report, here.