Sharon Woods
Sharon Woods, CNU-A is President of LandUseUSA | Urban Strategies; a faculty member with the Congress for the New Urbanism; and serves as the Vice President of the Michigan Chapter (MiCNU). She has over 35 years of experience in market research and analysis for retail, housing, and mixed-use projects in urban places. Her earliest career included tenure with several Fortune 500 retail corporations, with lead responsibility for site selection, location analysis, and sales forecasting.
The ‘retail apocalypse’ is a myth, and that's good news for the shopping industry and downtowns
A Google search for the so-called "retail apocalypse" generates more than 13 million results, but brick-and-mortar retail is growing. The data presents a more confident picture for urban and town planners, developers, investors, and merchants.
How brick-and-mortar stores can benefit from e-commerce
The impact of e-commerce on physical stores is not as negative as many believe—downtown merchants can thrive in this environment through omni-channel marketing and creating unique experiences.