With the bankruptcy of Barney’s in the news, we’re bound to see another round of handwringing in the media over the “retail apocalypse,” according to a recent feature from the National Retail Federation (NRF). The actual data paints a very different picture, though. As the just-released “Retail Renaissance – A Growth Story” report from IHL Group (a global research and advisory firm specializing in technologies for the retail and hospitality industries) points out, retail stores are definitely not going away. According to the report, for each company closing stores, 5.2 are opening stores. For every segment of retail, there are more companies opening stores than closing stores. Even the much-maligned department store category has more brands opening stores than closing them.

According to the NRF, the reality is that the wave of store closures seen in recent times is being driven by a handful of companies. Just 16 retailers are responsible for 73 percent of retail store closings so far this year, according to IHL. Retail is a dynamic, fast-changing, highly competitive industry and there are no guarantees of success. Consumer expectations are growing and evolving, and retailers must invest heavily to improve the in-store experience.

Click here to read the full story from the NRF.