Are Tanger’s Outlet Stores Resilient To The Retail Apocalypse?

The topic du jour in the consumer retail space is the ongoing assault on brick-and-mortar stores. Over the past several years, dozens of retailers have filed for bankruptcy and/or closed thousands of stores in a phenomenon that has been labeled the “retail apocalypse.” At center stage is the American mall, which used to serve as a sort of town square. A combination of the convenience of shopping online and an oversupply of retail stores in the U.S. has led to a decline in mall traffic. This has caused an overall decline in retail sales and has put financial pressure on the entire industry. Tanger Factory Outlet Centers is a real estate investment trust (REIT) that specializes in developing and operating outlet malls. Although it is in the mall business and has similarly seen its stock price suffer along with other mall operators, outlet malls are actually somewhat resilient to the broader retail trends. Read more at The Motley Fool.