The number of people buying online is falling—but bad news for consumer spending could lead to a comeback for brick and mortar stores thanks to their singular advantage, according to analysts at UBS.
Through a thousand-person survey of consumers in the U.S., the bank found that the percentage of people shopping online for things like clothing and apparel fell 3% year-over-year and was down compared to each of the last four years. The survey results are a stark change from the common belief, and the bank’s own previous estimate, that online sales would continue to take market share from clothing and apparel retailers that primarily sell their products at physical stores.
