Are Big Store Closings Creating 'Retail Deserts'?

Published January 29, 2016 at 12:52 PM CST

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A closed sign is seen on a Walmart store in Chinatown that is part of the closure of 154 store locations across the U.S., in Los Angeles, California on January 28, 2016.
The US retailing giant Walmart recently announced it is shuttering 269 stores inside and outside the U.S., with Latin America the hardest-hit foreign market. (Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Images) — A closed sign is seen on a Walmart store in Chinatown that is part of the closure of 154 store locations across the U.S., in Los Angeles, California on January 28, 2016. The US retailing giant Walmart recently announced it is shuttering 269 stores inside and outside the U.S., with Latin America the hardest-hit foreign market. (Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Images)

It’s been a mixed bag for retail so far this year, with announcements from Macy’s and Wal-Mart of store closings, while online shopping numbers continue to tick up. As the market finds its balance, some customers have fewer and fewer options when it comes to shopping.

Neil Saunders, managing director of the retail research firm Conlumino, talks with Here & Now‘s Meghna Chakrabarti about why some parts of the U.S. might become “retail deserts.”

Guest

Neil Saunders, managing director of Conlumino, a retail research firm. He tweets @NeilRetail.