Did The Supreme Court Just Save Retail?

US Supreme Court

WASHINGTON, DC–In September 2019, a mall in Toronto owned by Ivanhoé Cambridge will debut the first Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group’s concept of indoor family entertainment experiences specially designed for retail locations. Called CREACTIVE, it basically lets shoppers take the stage and flex their inner circus skills. “CREACTIVE is perfectly aligned with our vision for the future of retail: to join forces with the right partners to offer innovative experiences for the benefits of local families and communities,” said Claude Sirois, president, Retail at Ivanhoé Cambridge in a prepared statement.

CREATIVE is the latest example of how retail is remaking the shopper experience by offering exciting experiences and entertainment. Experiences and entertainment, it can be noted here, cannot be disintermediated by the Internet. Retail has been heading in this direction for some time and for many reasons — a main one being the bleeding it has suffered from online sales competition.

South Dakota v. Wayfair

Yesterday the US Supreme Court struck a blow on behalf of physical retailers with its 5-4 vote in the case South Dakota v. Wayfair. Essentially it ruled that US states may impose sales taxes on Internet businesses, even if they don’t have physical locations in those states.