[unclear]

I can't help but wonder what could have happened to have the shops be cancelled so close to their openings.

The stores had already received all of the merchandise, and also decorations, consisting of at very least the life-sized Lara statues (which I imagine are not cheap to ship). So essentially they had already paid for a great deal of the upfront costs for opening the shops, and didn't get to open to re-coup any of it.

I don't know whether or not we should speculate, or just let it be, but I imagine something drastic had to have happened for the plug to be pulled in such a costly way. I don't know much about it, but maybe it has to do with licensing or something?