2017 has been a record-breaking year for retail, and not in a good way.
Under pressure from a number of factors, including the growth of ecommerce, brick and mortar retailers have closed thousands of stores this year and some, including big names like Toys R Us, Sears Canada and Payless, have filed for bankruptcy.
In 2012, Jerry Storch, then the CEO of Toys R Us, told attendees at the Shop.org conference that stores will never die thanks to omni-channel retail.
Since that time, many traditional retailers have invested heavily in omni-channel initiatives that seem wise, at least on the surface.
But are retailers’ omni-channel hopes really delusions?
Retailers and consumers may be gearing up for two of the most important shopping days in the holiday shopping season, but this year, Black Friday and Cyber Monday are more ceremonial than ever.