Retail workers and shoppers in Omaha have seen a number of stores close in recent months.
With Omaha's Kmart closing over the weekend, there have been more than a dozen retail stores that have closed up shop.
The businesses include several Gordmans stores, Canfield's, Charming Charlie, Toys R Us, Shopko near 84th and West Center, and Office Max at Shadow Lake.
The closures and lost jobs reflect national trends.
In 2017, 66,500 U.S. retail jobs have disappeared (not taking into account jobs added in areas like distribution and call centers). Of the retail jobs that remain, over the next decade as many as 60 percent will either be new kinds of roles or will involve revised duties, says Craig Rowley, senior client partner at Korn Ferry Hay Group, a human resources advisory firm.
The retail industry is being radically reshaped by technology, and nobody feels that disruption more starkly than 16 million American shelf stockers, salespeople, cashiers and others. The shifts are driven, like much in retail, by the Amazon effect — the explosion of online shopping and the related changes in consumer behavior and preferences.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
