• by Sarah Mahoney  @mahoney_sarah, January 8, 2010

While there are promising signs that the retail sector is perking up as consumers shop a little bit more, there are still plenty of tough decisions in the offing for retailers. Foot Locker says it will close 117 stores in an effort to boost efficiencies. That news comes several days after Macy's announced it would shutter five of its underperforming stores. And some retail experts predict that with the holidays behind us, there may be new waves of closings and retail bankruptcies.

Foot Locker also says it is reorganizing, combining the management of its Foot Locker and Lady Foot Locker units -- as well as that for Kids Foot Locker and Footaction businesses -- with Richard Johnson, currently president and CEO of Foot Locker's European unit, moving to the same position over domestic stores.

"We expect the consolidation of our Foot Locker businesses under the direction of one management team to help us clarify our Foot Locker family of brands position in the retail marketplace," Ken C. Hicks, president/CEO, says in a release. "It will allow us to sharpen our focus on the female consumer, as we look to improve the coordination of our women's merchandise assortments and marketing strategies across each of our Foot Locker brands."

In addition to 117 store closings, the company is also eliminating 120 home office and field management positions, and will remodel or relocate 160 stores. (The company currently operates 3,600 stores in 21 countries.) Most of the closures are Foot Locker and Lady Foot Locker stores in the U.S.

The news comes just as the U.S. government releases discouraging data on job loss and the International Council on Shopping Centers says the retail sector lost 16,000 jobs in December, for a total of 440,000 throughout 2009, and 370,000 on a December-to-December basis. (Numbers are seasonally adjusted.)

This week, Women's Wear Daily reported there could be some 10,000 store closings in malls in 2010; ,in 2009, about 7,000 stores closed, although there were predictions of 12,000 to 14,000.