Report: The 'Retail Apocalypse' Is Fake News

Reports of the death of brick and mortar retail have been greatly exaggerated, according to a new analysis.

1 minute read

September 4, 2017, 1:00 PM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Beverly Hills

AnjelikaGr / Shutterstock

"Retail is not dead," writes Debra D. Bass. "According to a report by IHF Group, the U.S. gained 4,080 more retail stores than it lost this year."

The report, titled "Debunking the Retail Apocalypse," counters a prevailing narrative about a "retail apocalypse" in the United States due to the growing popularity of e-commerce. (Planetizen readers have proven the popularity of this narrative, as shown in this traffic analysis of the first six months of 2017.)

Yet, there are many still arguing that the future of brick and mortar retail is bright. Writes Bass: "The net increase in jobs, sales and store locations belies the more scintillating 'retail is dead' narrative […] and it considers the report welcome validation. Retail lives."

Bass notes that the National Retail Federation (NRF) has been making the same case, recently bolstered by the IHF report. The NRF has even created a website called "The Future of Retail," which calls the retail apocalypse "fake news." The National Retail Federation has spent the summer collecting news to bolster its claims, including articles in Forbes and USA Today.

For more insight into the IHF report, see also a Retail Dive article written by Daphne Howland.

Friday, September 1, 2017 in St. Louis Post-Dispatch

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Wastewater pouring out from a pipe.

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage

Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

April 13, 2025 - Inside Climate News

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Black and white photos of camp made up of small 'earthquake shacks' in Dolores Park in 1906 after the San Francisco earthquake.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees

More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

April 15, 2025 - Charles F. Bloszies

Ken Jennings stands in front of Snohomish County Community Transit bus.

Ken Jennings Launches Transit Web Series

The Jeopardy champ wants you to ride public transit.

4 hours ago - Streetsblog USA

Close-up on BLM sign on Continental Divide Trail in Rawlins, Wyoming.

BLM To Rescind Public Lands Rule

The change will downgrade conservation, once again putting federal land at risk for mining and other extractive uses.

6 hours ago - Public Domain

Calvary Street bridge over freeway in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Indy Neighborhood Group Builds Temporary Multi-Use Path

Community members, aided in part by funding from the city, repurposed a vehicle lane to create a protected bike and pedestrian path for the summer season.

April 20 - Smart Cities Dive