Jason and Scot recap their 2019 predictions, revealing hits and misses on store closures, Amazon's ad business, and e-commerce growth. They then launch into their 2020 forecasts, covering critical themes like e-commerce trends, brick-and-mortar strategies, and the impact of technology on retail. This episode offers a look back to inform future strategies in a rapidly evolving market.
Key takeaways
Analyze past predictions to identify consistent trends and emerging disruptions in retail.
Diversify your e-commerce platform strategy beyond single-platform assumptions, as demonstrated by the Shopify acquisition prediction.
Closely monitor Amazon's evolving strategies, particularly its advertising business and physical store footprint.
Anticipate continued challenges for brick-and-mortar retail, with store closures remaining a key trend.
Factor in the broader economic landscape and consumer behavior shifts when planning for future retail initiatives.
EP204 - 2020 Annual Predictions 2019 Recap - Predictions made on episode 159 Scot At least 5k more store closures in 2019. Yes. 9,300 US store closures per Coresight. Amazon – Prof Galloway is big on Amazon having to create a AWS spinoff and has moderated that to tracking stock. I'm going to predict Amazon doesn't do either of those things. But this WILL be the year they break ads out. Yes. Galloway was wrong. eBay/Alibaba – I think this is the year when they both need to do something big and the stars are aligning for a combination there. Nope. Shopify gets acquired by one of the big ad-based companies (facebook/google most likely) Nope. Walmart stumbles in e-commerce. Nope Score 2/5 Jason Amazon store count exceeds 1000 stores Nope. 571 Amazon Stores 22 Book 15 4-Star 8 Pop-ups 25 Go 2 liquor 499 Whole Foods <li style="f
