Brick vs. Click: E-Commerce vs. Physical Retail Stores
This paper examines the ongoing tension between e-commerce and traditional brick-and-mortar retail by analyzing three editorials published in 2017. The first, by Amy Koss in the LA Times, uses dramatic personal narrative to paint Amazon as a destructive force. The second, by Allan Thompson in the New York Times, takes a policy-oriented approach, advocating for government support of displaced retail workers. The third, by Daniel Freedman in the Wall Street Journal, argues that the "retail apocalypse" is overstated and that physical stores can survive by offering experiential value. The paper evaluates each editorial's use of ethos, logos, and pathos, ultimately concluding that e-commerce signals a transformation in retail rather than its extinction.
- Introduction: The Retail Crisis and the Rise of E-Commerce: Context for retail decline and e-commerce rise
- Koss's LA Times Editorial: A Gothic Narrative of Amazon's Destruction: Dramatic personal narrative blaming Amazon for retail death
- Thompson's New York Times Editorial: Policy, Jobs, and Transformation: Policy-focused editorial on retail job loss and government response
- Freedman's Wall Street Journal Editorial: Optimism and Adaptation: Optimistic argument that retail can adapt to e-commerce era
- Comparative Analysis of the Three Editorials: Tone, evidence, and rhetorical strategy compared across editorials
- Conclusion: Transformation, Not Extinction: E-commerce transforms retail rather than destroying it
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What makes this paper effective
- The paper applies a consistent analytical framework — ethos, logos, and pathos — across all three editorials, giving the comparative analysis a clear and organized structure.
- It balances criticism with fairness: even the weakest editorial (Koss's) receives credit for its effective use of logos in specific passages, showing the writer can make nuanced judgments.
- The conclusion synthesizes the three pieces into a coherent takeaway — that e-commerce signals retail transformation rather than destruction — rather than merely summarizing individual editorials.
Key academic technique demonstrated
This paper demonstrates rhetorical analysis as an academic method. Rather than arguing about whether e-commerce is good or bad, the writer evaluates how each author makes their argument — examining tone, evidence style, audience appeal, and the balance of emotional versus logical appeals. This technique is central to composition and communications coursework.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens with contextual background on the retail crisis before introducing each editorial in sequence. Each section follows a parallel structure: summary of the editorial's argument, analysis of tone, and evaluation of rhetorical strategies. A comparative section then synthesizes the differences across all three pieces, and the conclusion offers a personal assessment and broader reflection on the future of retail. This clear, repeating framework makes the comparative analysis easy to follow.
Introduction: The Retail Crisis and the Rise of E-Commerce
From rural strip malls to Manhattan's avenues, it has been a disastrous few years for retail. There were nine retail bankruptcies in 2017 alone — as many as in all of 2016. J.C. Penney, RadioShack, Macy's, and Sears each announced more than 100 store closures. Sports Authority liquidated, and Payless filed for bankruptcy. Several apparel companies' stocks hit multi-year lows, including Lululemon, Urban Outfitters, and American Eagle, and Ralph Lauren announced the closure of its flagship Polo store on Fifth Avenue — one of several brands to abandon that iconic thoroughfare.
A deep recession might explain an extinction-level event for large retailers. But U.S. GDP had been growing for eight straight years, gas prices were low, unemployment was under 5 percent, and the preceding 18 months had been quietly excellent for wage growth, particularly for middle- and lower-income Americans. The U.S. economy had not hindered consumerism; rather, the method and preferences of consumerism had simply changed. E-commerce emerged as one of the principal methods of shopping, and many began blaming it for the demise of traditional physical retail outlets. This paper analyzes the validity of these claims by deconstructing three editorials, each of which posits the notion that the physical retail industry is losing market share to e-commerce.
Prior to analyzing the specifics of these editorials, it helps to contextualize them within the general sentiment surrounding the relationship between e-commerce and physical retail. Proponents of e-commerce believe that with the growth of online shopping, American consumers have discovered the simplicity and comfort of buying goods online, and as a result have forgone conventional brick-and-mortar retail outlets. Many believe e-commerce giants such as Amazon have met the consumer's every wish — in terms of what is delivered (such as groceries) and how it is delivered (via free, fast shipping). Consequently, there has been significant opposition to the rise of e-commerce from champions of physical retail. Individuals in support of local retailers have pledged to boycott online shopping to demonstrate their commitment to local, physical outlets. The tension between these partisans is readily evident in the three editorials examined below.
Works Cited
Durden, Tyler. "Amazon Soars On Report Of 'Unbelievable' Online Sales As Channel Checks Show Store Traffic Down 1%." ZeroHedge, 27 Nov. 2017. Web.
Freedman, Daniel. "Bricks, Mortar — and Experiences." Editorial. Wall Street Journal, 20 Aug. 2017. Web.
Koss, Amy. "Amazon.com is a 21st century deal with the devil." Editorial. LA Times, 5 Jun. 2017. Web.
Thompson, Allan. "As Retail Goes, So Goes the Nation." New York Times, 21 Apr. 2017. Web.
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