Executive Summary

• This week’s note “From the Desk of Deborah Weinswig” discusses the retail outlook for 2018, which is likely to bring a continuation of trends seen in 2017.
• The holiday shopping season, a crucial period for retailers, can account for up to 40% of annual sales. The season brought record-breaking online and in-store spending of more than $800 billion this year, according to Mastercard’s analytics arm.
• More than 12,000 stores are expected to close in 2018—up from roughly 9,000 in 2017, according to Cushman & Wakefield. A rash of bankruptcy filings and store closures is expected at the start of the year.
• Marks & Spencer has sold its 27-store retail business in Hong Kong and Macau to UAE-based Al-Futtaim Group, which now runs 72 Marks & Spencer stores across 11 markets.