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2019年6月大学生英语六级考试真题第一套TheBestRetailersCombineBricksandClicksA)Retailprofitsarefallingsharply.Storesareclosing.Mallsareemptying.Thedepressingstoriesjustkeepcoming.ReadingtheearningsannouncementsoflargeretailstoreslikeMacy’s,Nordstrom,andTargetisaboutasupliftingasatourofanintensivecareunit.Theinteractisapparentlytakingdownyetanotherindustry.Brickandmortarstores(实体店)seemtobegoingthewayoftheyellowpages.Sureenough,theCensusBureaujustreleaseddatashowingthatonlineretailsalessurged15.2percentbetweenthefirstquarterof2015andthefirstquarterof2016.B)Butbeforeyoudumpallofyourretailstocks,therearemorefactsyoushouldconsider.Lookingonlyatthat15.2percentsurgewouldbemisleading.Itwasanincreasethatwasonasmallbaseof6.9percent.Evenwhenatinynumbergrowsbyalargepercentageterms,itisoftenstilltiny.C)Morethan20yearsaftertheinternetwasopenedtocommerce,theCensusBureautellsusthatbrickandmortarsalesaccountedfor92.3percentofretailsalesinthefirstquarterof2016.Theirdatashowthatonly0.8percentofretailsalesshiftedfromofflinetoonlinebetweenthebeginningof2015and2016.D)So,despiteallthetalkaboutdrone(无人机)deliveriestoyourdoorstep,alltheretailexecutivesexpressinganxietyoverconsumersgoingonline,andevenaPresidentialcandidateexclaimingthatAmazonhasahugeantitrustproblem,theCensusdatasuggestthatphysicalretailisthriving.Ofcourse,theclosedstores,depressedexecutives,andsinkingstockssuggestotherwise.What'stherealstory?E)Manyfirmsoperatingbrickandmortarstoresareintrouble.Theretailindustryisgettingreinvented,aswedescribeinournewbookMatchmakers.It'sstandinginthePathofwhatSchumpetercalledagale(大风)ofcreativedestruction.Thatstormhasbeenbrewingforsometime,andasithasreachedgaleforce,mostlargeretailersaresearchingforaresponse.AstheCFOofMacy’sputitrecently,“We’refranklyscratchingourheads.”F)Butit’snothappeningasexpertspredicted.Inthepeakofthedot.combubble,brickandmortarretailwasoneofthoseindustriestheinternetwasgoingtokill-andquickly.Thedot.cornbustdiscreditedmostpredictionsofthatsortandintheyearsthatfollowed,onventionalretailers’confidenceinthefutureincreasedasCensuscontinuedtoreportweakonlinesales.Andthenthegalehit.G)Itisbecomingincreasinglyclearthatretailreinventionisn’tasimplebattletothedeathbetweenbricksandclicks.Itisaboutdevisingretailmodelsthatworkforpeoplewhoaremakingincreasinguseofagrowingarrayofinternet-connectedtoolstochangehowtheysearch,shop,andbuy.Creativeretailersareusingthenewtechnologiestoinnovatejustabouteverythingstoresdofrommanaginginventory,tomarketing,togettingpaid.H)Morethandronesdroppinganewsupplyofunderwearonyourdoorstep,Apple’smassivelysuccessfulbrick-and-mortar-and-glassretailstoresandAmazon’ssmallstepsinthesamedirectionarewhatshouldkeepold-fashionedretailersawakeatnight.Nottomentionthelargenumberofcreativenewretailers,likeBonobos,thatareblendingonlineandofflineexperiencesincreativeways.I)Retailreinventionisnotasimpleprocess,andit’salsonothappeningonwhatusedtobecalledInternetTime.Someinternet-drivenchangeshavehappenedquickly,ofcourse.Craigslistquicklyovertooknewspaperclassifiedadsandturnednewspapereconomicsupsidedown.Butmanywidelyanticipatedchangesweren’tquick,andsomehaven’treallystarted.Withthebenefitofhindsight(后见之明),itlooksliketheinteractwilltransformtheeconomyatsomethinglikethepaceofothergreatinventionslikeelectricity.B2Bcommerce,forexample,didn’tmovemainlyonlineby2005asmanyhadpredictedin2000,norevenby2016,butthatdoesn’tmeanitwon’tdosooverthenextfewdecades.J)Butthegaleisstillblowing.Thesuddendeclineinfoottrafficinrecentyears,eventhoughithasn’tbeenaccompaniedbyamassivedeclineinphysicalsales,isacriticalwarning.Peoplecanshopmoreefficientlyonlineandthereforedon’tneedtogotoasmanystorestofindwhattheywant.There’sasurplusofphysicalshoppingspaceforthecrowds,whichisonereasonwhystoresaredownsizingandclosing.K)Theriseofthemobilephonehasrecentlyaddedanewlevelofcomplexitytotheprocessofretailreinvention.Evenfiveyearsagomostpeoplefacedachoice.Sitatyourcomputer,probablyathomeorattheoffice,searchandbrowse,andbuy.Orheadouttothemall,orMainStreet,lookandshop,andbuy.Now,justabouteveryonehasasmartphone,connectedtotheinternetalmosteverywherealmostallthetime.Evenwhenaretailergetsacustomertowalkinthestore,shecaneasilyseeifthere’sabetterdealonlineoratanotherstorenearby.L)Sofar,themainthingmanylargeretailershavedoneinresponsetoallthisistoopenonlinestores,sopeoplewillcometothemdirectlyratherthantoAmazonanditssmalleronlinerivals.Manyarehavingthesameproblemthatnewspapershave.Eveniftheygetonlinetraffic,theystruggletomakeenoughmoneyonlinetocompensateforwhattheyarelosingoffline.M)Afewseemtobemakingthiswork.Amonglargetraditionalretailers,Walmartrecentlyreportedthebestresults,leadingitsstockpricetosurge,whileMacy’s,Target,andNordstrom’sdropped.YetWalmart’syear-over-yearonlinesalesonlygrew7percent,leadingitsCEOtolament(哀叹),“Growthhereistooslow.”PartoftheproblemisthatalmosttwodecadesafterAmazonfiledtheone.clickpatent,theonlineretailshoppingandbuyingexperienceisfilledwithfrictions.Arecentstudygradedmorethan600internetretailersonhoweasyitwasforconsumerstoshop,buy,andpay.Almosthal