Stores will always be the heart of retailing. The criticality of the store as the central hub to engage customers and deliver services has never been higher. Larger chains, and especially those like Target who have turned their physical stores into a competitive advantage, will continue to get stronger. That said, there’s always room for innovation and I have no doubt that there will be many new and successful upstarts to challenge the leaders.

Storefronts will continue to dot the retail landscape for many years to come. However they will look and operate differently (or we’ll simply call them “museums”).

Revenue-wise: yes. Experience-wise: no. I really believe that small local shops will have their day soon. When you realize the choices are big box 1 or big box 2, the little vintage store down the street will start to obtain a larger place in your mind. Hang in there local, your day is coming.

Excuse me that is ONE HALF of what they predicted. Not unlike the other doomsday report that came out totally wrong. What value do these predictions have? Asking for a friend.

Stores will evolve as omnichannel assets that offer multisensory experiences, immediacy and a human touch. We’ll see more tech in stores, including digital screens and smart carts, as physical and online shopping converge.

Big retailers keep getting bigger by growing their ecosystems and market influence. Bankruptcy poses a growing risk for smaller retailers struggling to stay agile, relevant and solvent.

Stores are not going away. Yes, the big chains will get stronger and discounters will continue to add to their counts, but small, niche operators will shine as well and they will continue to have a strategic and heartfelt place in all of our city/town landscapes.

Physical and digital channels are two sides of the same coin. Retailers are learning how a physical presence plays a big role in boosting both top line earnings and bottom line profits. And the results are well proven through clear data — on average companies see a significant increase in their online sales where physical stores or shop-in-shops are accessible, and a decrease where stores have closed. To think of online and offline as two separate entities is outdated thinking that won’t work going forward.

There’s no doubt that the big chains, operating with the efficiencies that scale gives them, will take additional market share in the coming years. But scale and efficiency don’t translate well into the ability to localize assortments and experiences. By their very nature the big chains will leave voids and opportunities in their offerings. A new breed of retail entrepreneur will want to fill those voids.

I think this is a bit of an apples and oranges issue. Lots of small entrepreneurs open a store and lots of those stores fail, boosting the percentages in favor of chains. But I’d argue two things. First, it depends on the sector. Sure, boutique shops might have some success in the furniture or consumer electronics spaces but, at least in terms of volume and number of stores, those are always going to be dominated by big boxes and online retailing for the foreseeable future. That said, I’d rather own an independent bookstore than a chain store today and independent grocers have chased chains so successfully over the last 40 years or so that many of them have become chains. This isn’t an issue of “big versus small,” it’s a question of “agile and creative” versus “entrenched and stagnant.” And when it comes to stagnant thinking, size really doesn’t matter.

I am skeptical about these forecasts and think they are exaggerated, not least because as trading conditions have become tougher UBS has revised its estimates of store closures sharply downward. I think they also fail to take into account new store openings which come from the entry of new smaller players into the market. The wider importance of stores to the retail ecosystem — including driving and supporting online sales — also seems to have been ignored.

The big guys will always have an advantage over smaller stores because they have deeper pockets and scores of employees to help run the business. But given the choice between big boxes and chains that all carry the same things, or a quirky, well run independent retailer, I’m going with the indie.

A week ago a RetailWire article posed the question, “Are Retailers Boring the Heck out of Shoppers?” and most of the BrainTrust answered yes. People’s shopping habits are changing — my shopping habits are changing. I shop boxes and chains because it’s convenient, but I shop indie when I want unique.

I agree wholeheartedly with Lee Peterson’s comment: “Hang in there local, your day is coming.”

When referring to small-scale retailers, their small size can be due to either a limited selection of products or a narrow geographical reach. Customers often choose to purchase from these retailers because they can find the products they want at lower prices, as well as additional perks that come with shopping at a specific store.

In my opinion, such retailers should consider how effectively they can deliver their products to the customers. Additionally, supply chain efficiency and inventory management must also be considered because the visibility and availability of inventory at any given point hold the utmost importance.

The reason why retail giants like Target & Walmart are successful even today is that they have mastered the concept of supply chain management and worked on how to better their inventory efficiency.