Main Street Retail Fears Grow
Jun 10, 2021
Owners of independent brick-and-mortar businesses have a bleak outlook of the competitive threat posed by online shopping. Driving the news: A new survey of local U.S. retailers published by Shopify Thursday shows that 82% of respondents agree that major online marketplaces are making it more difficult to operate. Why it matters: The pandemic accelerated the decline of retail stores and this latest study adds to the expectation that more than 150,000 stores may close in the next five years. See more at Axios.
150,000 stores may close indeed. I continue to believe that the vast majority will be of the national chain variety, and frankly, 150,000 is still not enough. An astounding amount of stores got added to the mix over the years, squeezing out indies. Those that survived are not going anywhere soon. We can adapt and pivot and respond and change far faster. We know the people that come into our stores. I am getting more younger people seeking authenticity. All is not lost, but make no mistake: Independent stores ARE still susceptible to the threat of eroding market share, and nobody is more pissed off and disgusted by it than me.
People say they understand that local is better, but at the same time, on-line grew HUGE last year and will not go backwards this year or moving forward. We’re in for a fight, and it will also be fought in the courts as monopolies come under fire.
Amen, Peter.