Coronavirus Is Killing Traditional Retail, But Vintage Shops Are Thriving

Things look bleak in the world of retail. Big-name stores like J.Crew and The Gap are suffering, trying to stay relevant and keep their investors happy, all while balancing on the edge of financial ruin. Malls are a thing of the past, and the Amazon issue continues to keep CEOs up at night. How do they defeat the comfort and convenience of a one-stop-shop with its own shipping pipeline, competitive pricing, and a gazillion product categories? What can they offer that the Bezos Deathstar doesn’t have? The last frontier, the one that might survive all of this change, is old. So old, in fact, that it’s vintage. As everything falls apart for traditional retail businesses, the sale of vintage British tailoring and workwear is thriving. Even as stores have to stay locked up until governments say it’s OK to open for businesses, some vintage shops have built good enough credit in their communities that they’re able to keep the lights on — or, in this case, keep paying the internet bills. Read more at InsideHook.