"It does appear that mass store closures over the last couple years have kind of settled down. [Digital retail brands] now see brick-and-mortar retail as a way to build the brand and get a whole new population of customers that they may not have been able to get from online sources."

Brandon Isner, Americas head of retail research with commercial real estate investment firm CBRE, commenting to NBC News for its recent report, “2021 Was a Turning Point for Retailers, With Store Openings Outpacing Store Closures.” Major retailers announced 5,083 store openings compared with 5,079 store closures in 2021, NBC noted.