Walking along Washington Street in Hoboken, it’s hard not to notice a handful of empty windows, shuttered doors, and dark storefronts. And we took a walk from 15th Street to the Observer Highway, and counted: right now 24 storefronts are currently empty, with about five of them undergoing renovations. It’s not the first time businesses have closed or moved on from the main strip in Hoboken, but seeing those “For Lease” signs had us wondering: what’s next for Washington Street? So, the HG team took a look at the numbers and spoke with some local experts to see if this is a new trend or if it’s how Hoboken businesses are evolving. Here’s what we learned about the current state of business along Washington Street, what local realtors are saying, and what’s coming in 2026.
Trends Over Time
Store closings aren’t a unique problem for Hoboken, nor is it the first time shops have left the city. Back in 2018, The Hoboken Girl took a closer look at the many closures that occurred over the course of a couple of months. HG found that consumer habits are changing, and they continue to change as we head into 2026.
In 2025, major retailers like Forever 21, Party City, and Rite Aid all closed their doors across the country due to shifting consumer habits and poor finances, per CNN. Online shopping has become more prominent, allowing shoppers to digitally order and deliver all sorts of items instead of heading to a brick-and-mortar store. Food delivery apps, like Uber Eats and Doordash, have also increased over the years, with those apps drawing more than $29 billion in revenue in the United States in 2024.
The concerns Hoboken residents and business owners shared in 2018 seem to still ring true in 2026. For instance, the HG report back in 2018 cited the lack of parking, rising rent, and the growth of online shopping as reasons to why some businesses struggle in Hoboken. When HG spoke with Hoboken realtors in 2026, they echoed those same reasons as to why some businesses struggle to succeed on Washington Street…