Physical retail is too big for its own good.

Physical retail is too big for its own good. With several thousand store closings happening this year, many are quick to blame rising online retailers like Amazon—but there may be more factors at play. The U.S. has more retail square footage per capita than any other nation, which has led to many to be “overstored,” and impractical since “sport shopping, retail therapy, and conspicuous consumption” aren’t as prevalent as they once were. Lackluster shopping experiences are also a driving factor—a concept we discussed in our predictions for 2017, and our Experiencification trend. (Bloomberg View)