WWD and Placer.ai’s Retail & Apparel Trends: 2025 Outlook webinar last week zeroed in on some key points that revealed that the so-called “retail apocalypse” was a fallacy, and that it’s more of a renaissance where retailers were forced to transform their businesses, said guest Ethan Chernofsky, senior vice president of marketing at Placer.ai.

The webinar looked at the current state of luxury brands and explored how retailers are adapting to market changes.

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Chernofsky said despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, brick-and-mortar stores have made a remarkable comeback, demonstrating the enduring value of in-store experiences. He said the pandemic accelerated the shift toward online shopping, but also highlighted the limitations of digital experiences. Consumers missed the tangible aspects of shopping, such as trying on clothes, interacting with products and exploring physical stores.

“There are things that are better done online, but there are things that are better done in the store,” he explained. “There is the touch and feel of a product, the ability to discover what’s going on. Consumers go to the mall and say, ‘Hey, I’m going to walk into stores and just see what grabs me.’ That’s better done in a physical environment than it is done online. And trying on a product obviously is better done in person than it would be online. And this teaches us that there’s a value to the store.”

Chernofsky also said there’s a social experience dimension to going to a physical store. Shopping in-store provides opportunities for social interaction and community engagement that is hard to replicate online. He also said the role of digital is important. While physical stores remain key, digital tools enhance the shopping experience. Online channels can be used for research, product information and seamless omnichannel experiences.

He then explained how retailers can plan around key dates and events to maximize sales. Chernofsky showed a slide of hotel visits during the solar eclipse earlier this year. The greatest concentration of visits followed the best viewing path of the eclipse, which had been released by the National Solar Observatory prior to the event and included parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine and southern Canada. Chernofsky said hotels, retailers and brands took advantage of this forecasted data and planned around it with special products and promotions.