When Physical Stores Close, Memories of Brands Fade as Well

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Image of the Macy's at Springfield Mall via the Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust.

The loss of brick-and-mortar stores is also apparently having an effect on our ability to remember the stores online, writes Christopher Zera for FastCompany.com.

Online searches for places like Kmart and other legacy retail brands have been declining for the past three years, according to new data from Google search analytics firm SEMrush.

When Macy’s announced plans to close 125 stores, SEMrush checked to see if there is a correlation between store closures and declining search interest.

There seems to be a connection, though Google search volume can also be influenced by media coverage, stock movement, and sales.

Here’s a list of some legacy brands and online search activity over the past three years:

  • Toys ‘R’ Us: down 93 percent
  • Wet Seal: down 91 percent
  • American Apparel: down 78 percent
  • Kmart: down 76 percent
  • Sears: down 62 percent
  • Foot Locker: down 70 percent

Some retailers have managed to buck the trend, however. Pier 1 Imports, planning to close half of its 942 stores in a Chapter 11 bankruptcy, actually saw search volume increase 12 percent over the past three years.

SEMrush also found increases for Dollar Tree, CVS, Abercrombie & Fitch, and others.

Read more about the relationship between store closures and online searches at FastCompany.com here.

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