Think retail is dead? Think again!

Online sales strategies and tactics get a lot of attention these days, but let’s not forget the fact that about 90% of retail activity still happens in-store. The switch to an ecomm sales environment (and world!) has been hugely disruptive, and traditional brick-and-mortar retailers are still finding their way. This makes it the perfect time, then, for Amazon to innovate in a new territory—they’re going offline and into traditional store formats.

Doug Stephens, “The Retail Prophet” and internationally recognized consumer futurist, started his keynote presentation at High Point Market on Sunday by depressing his audience with the statistic that 8,643 retail stores closed in 2018, and 10,000 more are projected to fail in 2019.

His news got worse.

A brand new generation (Gen Z!) and a good bit of swirling social pressure to have Insta-worthy selfies and dorm rooms means the back-to-college shopping season is a perfect storm for a range of retailers.

First, let’s let the math tell the story.