RETAIL STORE OPENINGS INCREASE IN 2017

Over 4,000 more stores are opening than closing among big chains in 2017. For each company closing stores 2.7 are opening stores.  

As the “retail apocalypse” canard continues to grab the odd headline in the media, the data and the facts are consistently telling us quite a different story: a story of an industry in transition, but still growing. The most recent retail sales figures released by the Census Bureau were up a robust 4.2 percent year-on-year in July. Every month this year has seen a steady increase in sales over the same period last year.
Nonetheless, we keep hearing about record-level store closings and how this portends doom for the retail industry. But we’ve consistently argued that this data is drawn from a biased sample. IHL Group just published a report that offers a thorough and complete debunking of the main false premise supporting the retail apocalypse myth. Their data shows a net increase in store openings of over 4,000 in 2017. In fact, for each company closing a store, 2.7 companies are opening stores

What remains clear amidst all this noise is that the store is as relevant and important a part of the retail experience as it ever has been. The IHL data makes this case quite clearly — and the consumer is telling us the same thing. Almost 80 percent tell us they are visiting stores as frequently or more frequently than last year. Interestingly, this number goes up by 5 percent when you sample Millennials and Gen Z. Don’t bet your shirt on the death of retail, or you’ll be forced to shop for a new one.