NEW YORK, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- So far this year, 8,400 retailers and 110,000 restaurants have been closed in the United States, as the COVID-19 pandemic ravages the country, claiming more than 298,000 lives, according to the latest industry statistics.

New data from Coresight Research revealed American retailers have announced 8,400 closures this year. Ascena Retail closed most of its locations, at nearly 1,200. Coresight anticipated that closures will snowball and set a new record this year, breaking the 2019 record of 9,302 closures tracked by the firm.