6 major ways that shopping has changed over the last decade, from the death of the mall to virtual dressing rooms
1. Malls have been dying.
Mass store closures are crippling shopping centers. More than 9,100 stores are expected to close in 2019.
Source: Business Insider
Between 20% to 25% of malls will close by 2022, according to a report done by Credit Suisse in 2017.
Source: Business Insider, Business Insider
2. Online shopping has taken off.
Online shopping overtook general merchandise sales (including department store sales) for the first time ever in February, according to the US Census Bureau.
Source: Business Insider
Major companies like Target and Walmart rely on online channels in addition to in-store sales.
And companies that have failed to understand online channels for growth have suffered because of it.
Bed Bath & Beyond, for example, has been accused of failing to adapt to compete with online sellers.
3. The growth of Amazon has forced companies to adapt.
"E-commerce giant Amazon got one component right of the shopping experience — they focused on access, ease and convenience when customers wanted it," Wytock said.
Retailers have utilized different tactics to compete. Kohl's announced a partnership with Amazon in 2017 to accept returns for the e-commerce giant in its stores, a move that boosted traffic nearly 24% in the three weeks after the partnership began, data from inMarket revealed.
"The move aimed to lure more people to Kohl's locations and give Amazon a physical presence to simplify the return process," Wytock said.
Source: Business Insider
4. The shipping wars have intensified.
Amazon said in April that it would cut its Prime two-day shipping guarantee to just one day.
Source: Business Insider
Walmart said in May that it would launch free, next-day shipping on orders costing at least $35.
Source: Business Insider
5. Buy online, pick up in store — or BOPIS — is growing.
This option helps customers avoid shipping costs, as shoppers can order online and then pick up items from designated locations in stores. Kohl's, for example, has lockers in some of its stores designated for this program.
Source: Kohl's
"For many consumers, free same-day pickup or drive-up service is more convenient than shopping," Wytock said.
6. Experiential elements are challenging the relevancy of brick-and-mortar stores.
Virtual or augmented reality apps and dressing rooms are a recent and massive advancement in shopping.
Source: Business Insider
"The ability to see how something looks on you, be it a cashmere sweater or a shade of eye shadow, was a competitive advantage brick-and-mortars had, until improvements like VR dressing rooms and customer service chatbots started embracing those missing functions," Byer said.
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