There are a Few Powerhouse Storefronts Still
Ever since Amazon.com taught everyone what online retail profitability could look like, you can probably count on no more than two hands how many storefronts have grown into prominent visibility. Starbucks comes to mind, but their meteoric rise began shortly before dot-coms changed our language and thought processes. Five Guys is a hamburger joint that caught fire and exploded into hundreds of restaurants and even into Europe (telegraph.co.uk/business/2017/04/23/us-burger-chain-five-guys-plans-expansion-europe) within just a few years, but it’s not like we’re going to the Internet to get our well-done cheeseburgers (yet).
One example of a storefront that has found a rocketing trajectory despite merciless competition from online sellers is a company which, like Five Guys, was born in Washington, D.C. Bluemercury boomed from one store in Georgetown to almost 200 stores 18 years later, blanketing the country neighborhood by neighborhood. See the stats cited on this page - Bluemercury’s Barry Beck Receives Top Recognition.
Since a recession about a decade ago, the U.S. economy has shown vitality and growth on a monthly basis. Much of this growth has been in the online sector, as the ways people make and spend money are adjusted by a new economy dealing with new technological, societal and political circumstances. But people still shop - there is still abundant room for storefront retail with nationwide appeal.
