Consumers are choosing between convenience or experience

Holiday shopping trends revealed a sharp divide within the retail industry, and big-box stores are caught in the middle. Industry consumer spending data from the biggest pre-Christmas weekend of the year, Black Friday/Small Business Saturday, shows a clear bifurcation of shopping habits. Mid-market retailers report stagnant growth and missed targets, like Target’s 16 percent profit slip during Q3, but that’s really the result of consumer dollars headed in two directions: toward convenience shopping for commodities and experience-based shopping at local businesses.