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Shopping evolves as stores learn from online
In SA, online retailer even reverses trend to open actual stores
Some bricks-and-mortar stores are beginning to find their feet again, according to reports from the US that suggest the decimation of physical retailers over the past few years may be stalling. Well-known brands like Toys R Us and Borders Books no longer exist, and icons such as Macy's are downsizing dramatically. Last year a record 9.7-million m² of space was closed in the US, according to commercial real estate company CoStar Group, and some believe store closures this year may exceed this. This trend is also evident in the UK, where a number of big retailers have gone into administration or are slashing store sizes. Charles Allen, a retail research analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence, said store closures across the US were still happening "although maybe some of the large high-profile announcements are not happening any more. Perhaps more importantly, store openings have almost completely stopped. This means that the effect of closures is perhaps greater than previously as there is...
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