Is it true that the retail industry is collapsing?

There are challenges facing the retail industry for sure such as the proliferation of online based shopping but there is no concrete data that it is collapsing per se.

it would appear so, in fact the large stores probably will all close in time, there will always be local stores to handle a lot of stuff that people want to get NOW and not wait for the time it takes to get from an on line store

the costs of the huge buildings and all the upkeep, as well as the cost of remodeling it getting way out of range to keep maintaining these huge complexes

Malls are having a tough time. There's plenty of apathetic employees standing around talking with each other, eating snacks, complaining about their bosses, and sending anyone who approaches them to another department. Assuming, of course, I can get one to even make eye contact with me so I can ask the question.

I had to replace a gasket on my toilet. I called the local hardware store to ask if they had one before I drove over. Told him what model the toilet was, and where the gasket went. Gaskets! they had a whole wall of 'em, surely they had the one I needed. But when I got there, they didn't. At least he apologized, but that didn't put a replacement part in my hands. Cue calling the SECOND hardware store (neither of these were big box, stores, either.) The person who answered the phone finally turned the call over to a coworker who could answer the question. It took over ten minutes. It didn't take that long to fix the toilet.

I can order the gaskets anywhere and have them mailed to me, and not have to deal with idiots.

One the other hand, I work in a retail store that is actually doing well. The boss selects his merchandise very, very carefully. He knows what kind of people shop in his store. We treat customers well. We return phone calls, provide timely service, accept returns graciously. Orders don't get "lost." We don't try to sell people a bunch of crap that falls apart in a few months. We try and sell them a few quality things they'll own for a long time.

It's not collapsing. The challenge is creating an atmosphere where people go somewhere, say Macy's for example, and enjoy the experience of being there vs. shopping online at home. How do you make it better than the online experience?

Answer that and you save the industry.

Online shopping is a part of the retail industry, so no, it's not collapsing. Society changes all the time. People who want to be employed need to adjust as well.

No, the retail industry is not collapsing - it is just taking a different form. Brick and mortar stores will shrink and some retailers (those not able to adapt) will go out of business. However, when you buy on-line, you are still buying retail.

It isn't just online shopping. It's that peoples homes are already full of crap. They have all the furniture, clothing, decor, electronics, etc., that they can possibly squeeze into their homes already. So the need for more crap is going to move at the pace of population growth

What a puzzy. Just think of all the great deals out there due to economic collapse!

store square footages will, in total, become smaller. that isn't the end of the world. there will be more jobs for Amazon employees and drivers