With the U.S. economy struggling to stay afloat, retailers are weathering a rough holiday shopping season this year. When the dust clears after the New Year, how bad will the damage be? In this edition of Smith Business Close-Up with the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business, Dr. Jie Zhangdiscusses the retail outlook for an economy in turmoil.

Research by Michel Wedel and Jie Zhang

Brick-and-mortar stores are being forced to innovate, renovate, and invent new ways to attract consumers and keep them entertained. Here's what the upheaval means for shoppers.

'The silver lining is that the pandemic will serve as a catalyst to force many retailers to accelerate their innovation and technology adoptions.'

Every July and August, parents across the country prepare their school-age kids with the usual back-to-school goods: gleaming new sneakers, a fresh backpack, binders, paper and packs of bright yellow pencils. Not so much this year.

What will happen to the shopping mall when the coronavirus crisis eases, when the stay-at-home orders are lifted and non-essential businesses are able to welcome customers back?

What until very recently seemed like a futuristic pipe dream is increasingly market commonplace, as retail companies across consumer sectors roll out augmented reality (AR) experiences.

Brick-and-mortar stores are finding new ways to attract shoppers when everything they might want to buy is just a click away.

Maryland Smith experts explain how the Seattle-based Amazon created a summer shopping phenom.

Are those daily promotions, like the ones from Groupon, a good deal or not? They can be, but it’s all a matter of perspective, says marketing professor Jie Zhang.