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Can retail handle changing consumer trends?

Eliza Mills Jun 10, 2016
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Shoppers walk along Lexington Avenue in the eastern Midtown section of Manhattan on April 29, 2015 in New York City. According to the Federal Reserve Bank, growth of the U.S. gross domestic product - the value of goods and services produced in the U.S. - has slowed for the first quarter of 2015.   Kevin Hagen/Getty Images

Can retail handle changing consumer trends?

Eliza Mills Jun 10, 2016
Shoppers walk along Lexington Avenue in the eastern Midtown section of Manhattan on April 29, 2015 in New York City. According to the Federal Reserve Bank, growth of the U.S. gross domestic product - the value of goods and services produced in the U.S. - has slowed for the first quarter of 2015.   Kevin Hagen/Getty Images
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In store retail has been taking a hit lately, battling, as it has been for the past decade, the online marketplace. 

These days, it seems like brick and mortar stores are really struggling…sales have been down, and brands have been making noticeable efforts to draw shoppers in with events, or even partnerships – like a Bloomingdales with a Drybar inside it or a Starbucks setting up shop in a Barnes and Noble.

The retail landscape is changing, and so are stores. The Gap is considering selling clothing on Amazon to boost sales. And businesses are fighting not just for foot-traffic, but for clicks, and balance. 

So what still draws customers into a brick-and-mortar outpost? And is the end of the mall fast approaching? 

Sapna Maheshwari, senior business writer for Buzzfeed, joins Marketplace Weekend to explain. 

Click the audio player above to hear the full interview. 

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