Retail Apocalypse: The Death of Malls, Retailers & Jobs

The most common job in the United States is a retail salesperson. The retail sector is one of the largest sources of private employment in the country. The National Retail Federation says the retail industry "directly and indirectly supports 42 million jobs," which roughly amounts to 1 in 4 U.S. jobs. Walmart, the world's largest retailer is also the world's largest private employer. Amazon, the largest e-commerce company in the U.S. is the second largest employer in the country after Walmart. These successful retail companies are in a technological arms race, resulting in the automation of an increasing number of tasks. They are also driving traditional retail competitors out of business. This book explores the current state of the retail industry, and it takes a comprehensive look at its history to explain how we got here. It goes on to describe the various efforts underway at the world's leading retailers to leverage technologies that will threaten the jobs of retail workers and the survival of traditional retail competitors. Retail Apocalypse discusses the broader economic and technological trends such as e-commerce, digitalization, convergence, artificial intelligence, and automation that are shaping the retail landscape. Big Tech has increasingly encroached into the industry and is playing a significant role in defining retail's future.