There is an opinion that in the future online shopping will lead one day to extinction of traditional stores in cities and towns, I wouldn’t say that I could support this point of view.
This trend is existing but I totally disagree with so strong statement.
First evidence despite the statement that is Nowadays trade model is highly difficult and flexible and as a result shows true condition of economy. By my strong opinion future part of online shopping will stake from 85 to 95 percent but will never get 100%. I suppose local stores could be transformed into last-mile-warehouse. So I predict that many goods can be buyed by a plan, other words automatically by smart or home or even by global artificial intelligence without any human participation. But there is a huge group of things which unable to be predictable planned to buy. I mean such goods like drugs, pills, emergency products, sometimes clothes that complement outfit. This thought-man experiment confirms my opinion: local shops will survive through transformation into small local warehouses with store options.
The second reason why I don’t think stores will disappear is a potential threshold and companies which cross it, experience an additional expenses for the future expansion. For instance: one of the most wealthy person on the Earth Jeff Bezos – owner and designer of Amazon company, which growth from the single online shop. Today Amazon shows that company have to diversificate their business and expanse on the new markets such IT, web-hosting, development, delivery services, etc. Meanwhile in Russia post service which has offices in almost all places of country whose population over one thousand people. So those offices are transforming right now even in local stores, bank offices and many other additionally services in the same time. And this company doesn’t have competition problems because its office is a single office in the whole town.
To conclude: the worldwide globalisation trend is undoubtedly exists and online shopping is the increasing factor of that appearance, but as I wrote higher, there are a different evidences of keeping local store buildings and their companies in the future even if online shopping will be developed as never before.