Retail’s Rough Run: Should Investors Stay Away?

It’s no secret that it’s been a rough run for retail. Rising competition from e-commerce as well as millennials’ shifting shopping habits have put pressure on traditional brick and mortar stores. Data suggests the pain may be far from over – the retail ETF (XRT) is down more than ten percent this year, and Credit Suisse predicts that more than nine thousand stores will close their doors in 2017. After speaking to three young women leaving popular clothing store Zara in New York City in late spring, it wasn’t hard to see why e-commerce is winning. All three prefer to shop online, citing convenience and style as the primary reasons. One shopper, Nazia, who came into the store to return something, said online shopping “is convenient, because of delivery.” She added that it’s often cheaper than shopping in the store. In addition to shopping on her computer, she uses apps on her phone to browse, and she even gets her groceries delivered. See more at CNBC.