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While states across the U.S. are allowing businesses to re-open in phases, resulting in surges in spending during May and June, many retailers are still suffering from the impact of being closed for months and the loss of over 2.7 million retail jobs in March and April. Some will never re-open, as with Pier One, which has elected to close all of its 540 stores. The retail industry, which accounts for 29 million jobs, was in a precarious state even before the pandemic, and a research firm has predicted that there will be 20,000-25,000 store closures in 2020, compared to 9,548 in 2019. Those who are re-opening are facing the challenges of increased returns due to the lack of dressing rooms, and difficulty in bringing back workers who were furloughed. Neiman Marcus, J Crew, Tuesday Morning, JCPenney, and several others have filed for bankruptcy, with some planning to permanently lay off thousands of workers, many of whom are women and people of color.