Retail is on the decline, offering untold opportunities to the entertainment sector. The industry’s next steps could be crucial, writes Ian Donegan.
FOR those in the UK, the closure of Maplin, a chain of technology stores, in 2018 spelt the true beginning of retail’s problems. This is the age of tech and there has never been such a high demand for gadgets and electronic solutions and yet here was an electronics store, with 200 sites spread across the country, going into administration.
This is, ironically, because people are so much more technologically savvy now and the kinds of people who want to spend their money on gadgets are often the kinds of people with a firm grasp of how to buy things over the internet. Unfortunately for retail, the number of people who can comfortably do this is growing quickly. An issue of this magazine rarely goes to print without including a story of an FEC that has replaced a Seers or some other once-proud outlet.
