A Wren Says

Over the past year, there was a 4% increase in retail sales. 4% might seem like an insignificant figure, but factor in the losses that happened as a result of the pandemic and rise of online shopping. An increase is still an increase. My question then is “Is retail back?”

The reporting by WWD didn’t break down why there was an increase or the types of stores that experienced the biggest gains. But as a consumer, I have my own theories, based on what I have been noticing and my own experiences.

Online shopping, as easy as it can be, does have its drawbacks. After a stretch of time of ordering everything online, you get to experience issues such as delivery delays and package thieves. And because you are basing your choice solely pictures, you might find things look completely different once you get the item in your hands. In addition to the issues I noted above, I would imagine the recent Amazon worker strike might have driven more people to shop in store just out of an abundance of caution. Shopping in person gives people the opportunity to get the item then and there and ensure they are getting exactly what they want the first time around.

Now, it remains to be seen if retailers are able to capitalize on this momentum and how they will message and cater to consumers to keep it going.