EPISODE 2
In the latest edition of our Simon SumUp series, Founder and CEO Joshua Simon speaks to e-commerce, Amazon and Whole Foods, and shopping malls.
The first quarter of 2017 saw e-commerce sales rise 4.1 percent from Q4 2016, to $105.7 billion. Those sales account for 8.5 percent of the quarter’s total retail sales. But, a significant portion of those e-commerce sales are coming from brick and mortar retailers.
There’s been a lot of speculation as to just what is Amazon’s end goal in purchasing Whole Foods - Gaining a brick and mortar presence, improving the “last mile” delivery, or even getting into the pharmacy game. But, perhaps it’s less about products and more about data?
There’s no denying that malls have struggled in recent years. Big box store closing and decreased traffic have impacted many. Malls like Century City in Los Angeles are finding ways to reinvent themselves. So, maybe instead of the death of the mall, we’re just seeing an evolution.