Independent retailers face some big challenges in 2017, but also enjoy some unprecedented opportunities, reports Independent Retailer contributor and Sumner Communications managing editor Meaghan Brophy. The biggest challenge is staying profitable in the face of online competition, labor skills gaps, higher labor costs and high taxes.
On the positive side, nominal retail sales are projected to rise by 4 percent, and technology is giving independent retailers the means to compete with big box stores. Independent retailers are well-positioned to occupy a middle market niche between online marketers and specialty stores.
