The popular clothing brand Bebe announced last week that it was closing more than 170 bricks-and-mortar shops in the United States to focus on online sales. The announcement could lead one to believe that the future of retail exists almost entirely on the internet. What Amazon made popular with books has become so pervasive in America that even clothing retailers don’t see the need for physical shops.
Closer to home, similar trends are unfolding before our eyes. As online shopping slowly becomes more mainstream, the ease of buying everything from electronics to kitty litter improves. Yet, malls will always serve an important function as public spaces for our society.
Perhaps flagship brands such as Bebe, which has eight stores in the UAE, will see value in maintaining select concept stores in which customers can try on the latest styles only to go home to purchase their goods.
