Not surprisingly retailers are a litttttle leery signing new leases in the midst of a pandemic. Even with businesses beginning to open up across the country in May and June, there are still too many unknowns out there.
Among those questions are:
Could this be the jab to the throat brick-and-mortar retail was trying to avoid? Back in February forecasts were predicting that U.S. retail would see moderate growth somewhere around 2.8% in 2020. This was PC (pre-COVID), of course. Now, the newest available data is showing that U.S. retail sales will most likely decline 10.5% this year, and those getting hit the hardest will be brick-and-mortar retail stores.
Even with a strong Holiday season at the end of 2019, brick and mortar stores have been struggling to increase in-store sales and compete with online giants. Coming into 2020, experts anticipated that there were going to be a number of store closings in addition to the previously announced upcoming closings.
The Revival of Brick & Mortar Shopping this Holiday Season
This year’s holiday season is looking favorable for retailers. With the economy, household incomes and employment levels holding steady, ICSC is anticipating a 4.9% increase over last year’s $832.3 billion holiday sales. The average American adult is expected to spend nearly $700 on holiday-related items including gifts and decorations.