FEATURE ARTICLE: 1997 Annual National Retail Census
September 1997 (No. 6.6), by Jack Richman, of Audits & Surveys Worldwide



General Merchandise Stores

Discount & Department Stores

The number of discount stores has more than doubled since 1970. Their precipitous growth, which stalled in 1996, appears to be on the rise again in 1997. But this trend may prove to be short-lived because much of the growth in outlets is in discount supercenters, which may, in the long run, cause some of the smaller locations to close. Department stores, which have been on the decline since 1985 as a result of bankruptcies and corporate restructurings, are poised for a comeback and actually have managed to increase their numbers marginally in 1997.

Variety & General Merchandise Stores

Variety stores, selling a diverse inventory of products, and general merchandise stores, selling linens, dry goods and other items, are victims of the success of discount stores and have continued their precipitous decline in 1997. The recent announcement that Woolworth intends to close its remaining "five and dime" stores all but assures that this downward spiral will continue in 1998.

Catalog Showroom Stores

Catalog showroom stores, the once-promising discount retailing hybrid offering the at-home browsing convenience of catalogs with the immediacy of a local store, appear on the verge of extinction. Their numbers, which have been plunging since 1980, have continued their descent in 1997, with the loss of an additional 29% of their outlets.


Other Retail Outlets:


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