US Department Store Sales, 2004-2014 [CHART]

Hurt by the gradual decline of the iconic US shopping mall format they long anchored and retail generalists in an era when specialty stores and personalization are on the rise, department stores are having to adjust their business strategies for the digital age. Ecommerce sales are still less than 15% of revenues for most players in the sector, but many that have taken steps toward digital-physical integration are starting to see their work pay off, according to a new eMarketer report, “Department Stores and Digital Commerce: Trends and Benchmarks.”

The persistent industry buzzword “omnichannel” has taken many forms across sectors, and department stores have been at the forefront of attempting to use traditional spaces as a value add rather than a detriment when competing against online pure plays. Read the rest at eMarketer.