Bricks-and-mortar retailers are not giving up without a fight
While you can make the case there has been a shift in the way consumers shop, it is pushing it to say they have left physical shops for good, Juan Torres Rodriguez says
If you are a regular reader of the financial media, you could be forgiven for thinking some kind of corporate serial killer is currently on the loose. Almost daily, fresh obituaries appear for retail businesses and there is a strong consensus on who is to blame — the global phenomenon that is Amazon as it makes good on one of founder Jeff Bezos’s favourite aphorisms: "Your margin is my opportunity." Case closed, then? Well, not so fast. There is little doubt Amazon’s rapid online growth is asking some very tough questions of traditional bricks-and-mortar retailers and their old-school business models, which is leading to stiff declines in like-for-like sales numbers. Furthermore, Amazon keeps pushing into fresh markets: its new focus on the home, kitchen and furniture space, for example, is presumably leaving Ikea relieved it is not a listed company. Still, while you could certainly make the case there has been a shift in the way consumers do their shopping, it would be pushing it t...
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