What Does 'Retail Apocalypse' Really Mean? Maybe We Should Ask Alexa

A recent preview of a research report from Business Insider Intelligence asks the question, "If we're living through a 'retail apocalypse' then why are e-commerce leaders like Amazon, Alibaba, and JD.com so focused on building brick-and-mortar stores? The answer they suggest is that traditional retail locations failed to offer consumers the 'personalization and promotions' that online retailers can offer, and that companies like Amazon are somehow just picking up the slack.