The Ticking Time Bomb for Suburban Retail

Thanks largely to the rise of e-commerce, chains like Macy’s, Toys “R” US, and Best Buy are shuttering faster than analysts predicted even one year ago, with at least 24 major retailers planning store closures in 2018.

According to some forecasters, an even larger retail apocalypse sits on the horizon. As overbuilt malls, corporate mergers, and autonomous vehicles converge as trendlines, “the ingredients are in place for major disruption,” said Rick Stein, the founder of Urban Decision Group, a Columbus, Ohio-based planning consulting firm.