A recent article published in BusinessInsider.com:
“5 new uses for empty malls decimated by the retail apocalypse and COVID-19, from health clinics to homeless shelters”, featured comments by Chief Marketing Officer, Jordan Cohen on the state of the American mall and what the future of these empty spaces may be. An excerpt from the story:
Logistics, fulfillment, and distribution centers
As e-commerce continues to boom during the pandemic, retailers have already started transforming empty storefronts into fulfillment and distribution centers. Experts said this is likely to continue within vacant malls.
According to Jordan Cohen — chief marketing officer of What If Media Group, a provider of marketing services to large brands and retailers — there is a high need for more logistics centers, particularly in more remote areas of the US. "There is an opportunity for retailers to grow their businesses and establish stronger brand loyalty by offering faster shipping of their products to consumers living in more rural or 'off the beaten path' parts of the country, as well as offering quick drop in pick-up locations to these consumers," Cohen told Business Insider.
He added that he doesn't anticipate physical retail to ever die, online shopping will only continue to increase, adding to the demand for these centers around the country. "In-person shopping won't disappear — and there will be a place for brick and mortar retail in our future, and even today with reopenings — but we anticipate that more purchases will shift to e-commerce, and as a result, there will be less of a need for many retailers to have physical locations as compared to distribution centers," he said.
The full article can be found here.
About What If Media Group
Founded in 2012, What If Media Group is an award-winning performance marketing company that enables the world’s leading brands to acquire valuable new customers at scale. By leveraging data-driven engagement and re-engagement strategies across multiple proprietary marketing channels and sophisticated targeting technology, and utilizing insights based on millions of consumer ad interactions each day, What If Media Group delivers the most cost-effective and highest performing marketing campaigns for its clients. Headquartered in Fort Lee, New Jersey, WhatIf is a recipient of Crain’s 2019 Fast 50 and is a member of the Inc 5000 list of the fastest-growing private companies in America.