There is clearly no single answer for the problems facing department store retailers. While reducing the amount of unproductive selling floorspace is critical, global retailers have increasingly turned their focus to shop-in-shop concessions as a viable turnaround option. 

The growth aspirations of department stores, particularly in the mature markets of Europe and North America, are now limited to expanding their off-price formats and trying to be more competitive e-commerce players.

Meanwhile, they are gradually thinning out their mainstream store fleets. Beneath all of the marketing spin, the carefully crafted press releases and the often-feigned optimism of CEOs as they expound on their latest turnaround strategies, department store market share continues to decline at quite an alarming rate.

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