declining job postings, increasing layoffs and vacant storefronts. by looking at the headlines that dominate recent coverage of the retail industry ,the casual observer could easily buy into the notion that retail is dying. nevertheless, millions of consumers prepare to hit brick and mortar stores for another black friday to begin filling their holiday shopping lists. and ,
speaking with managers on the ground reveals an entirely different picture than what headlines portray.
the national retail federation projects holiday sales figures for 2021 to increase to nearly $682 billion, which would mark a 4 percent rise over last year’s record figures. but critics continue to point to other data points, namely the continued drop in seasonal positions. seasonal hiring peaked in 2013, at 764,000 new jobs, but has dropped steeply in the years since. the correlation drawn here is that fewer hires inherently means lower demand.
but not all jobs are created equal, and the positions created today are vastly different from those a decade ago. retail jobs now aren’t just cashiers and shelf stockers that everyone sees as they go about their holiday shopping. what goes unseen is the tremendous resources stores are dedicating on their backend operations. target announced earlier this year a $7 billion plan to improve the customer experience both in-store and online. in order to do this, they’ll need web and app developers, marketing experts, business analysts and several other higher paying positions. it’s these positions that are taking the place of seasonal employees. as with other industries, artificial intelligence, robotics and other new technology will continue to reshape retail, and it will demand thoughtful professionals to implement them in ways that help customers.
also, vacant storefronts are all too common and have come to epitomize the “retail is dying” narrative. however, they are not a victim of trends happening now so much as they are obvious reminders of past mistakes. throughout the last half century, american consumerism ballooned and a frenzy of malls and shopping centers opened through the 1980s.
in those days, people weren’t calculating the right size of space per person and the boom resulted in the u.s. being a tremendous outlier in retail space. in 2014, the u.s, still had more than six times the square footage of retail space than did other western countries, with nearly 24 square feet per person, compared to less than four square feet per person, there was bound to be some regression to the norm, and it’s compounded by the fact that organizations are growing more aware of their space, and how to maximize every inch.
the consumer buying experience is growing increasingly more complex, but the metrics to gauge them have remained largely unchanged. it’s time to retool the lens through which retail is viewed, because what we have now distorts reality. [478 words)
1.which of the followtry is facing a talent shortage.
[b] consumers are abandoning physical stores.
[c] holiday sales start to show signs of falling.
[d] seasonal labor force keeps shrinking rapidly.
2. it can be learned from paragraph 3 that retail jobs are____.b
[a] becoming equally paid for equal work
[b] experiencing a change in structure
[c]seeing an increase in payments
[d] being reassigned to visible positions
3. the example of target shows stores are making great efforts to____.a
[a] improve the shopping experience
[b] move their businesses online
[c] expand to other industries
[d] fight against new technologies
4. vacant storefronts in the us can be mainly attributed to____.c
[a] the lasting impact of economic regression
[b] the steady decline in consumer enthusiasm
[c] previous miscalculation of retail space needed
[d] retailers’ lack of space saving awareness nowadays
5. which of the following would be the best title for the text? a
[a] retail is alive and well [b] retail is in need of change
[c] holiday sales are booming [d] holiday sales are misgauged
试题精解
1.根据第一、二段,以下哪一项正确?
[a]零售业正面临人才短少。 [b]花费者正扔掉实体店肆。
[c]假期出售初步呈下滑痕迹。 [d]时节性劳作力持续快速削减。
[信息断定]第二段第二、三句借谈论者视角指出,零售业时节性岗位持续削减,时节性雇员自从2013年以来一向快速下滑。可见[d]为实际.
[解题技巧][a]将第一段第一句及第二段第二,三句所述表象“零售业时节性雇员削减,裁员严峻”差错了解为“零售业人才短少”.[b]与第一段第三句所述景象“许多花费者预备在黑色星期五到实体店肆购物(文中brick and mortar stores 与选项 physical stores同指“实体店肆”)相悖.[c]与第一段第四句及第二段第一句所述景象“与一线司理攀谈会掀开一副与新闻头条所描绘的2021年零售业假期出售额持续上涨,打破上一年记载”相悖.
2.由第三段可知零售业作业 ____.
[a]正变得同工同酬 [b]正阅历规划的改变
[c]正阅历薪资的增加 [d]正被再分配到可见方位表首 贷动
[信息断定]第三段第一至三句指出,如今的零售业岗位不再只是是“可见的店内时节性岗位”(not just…that everyone sees as…holiday shopping);零售业在尽力于设置“看不见的后台操作岗位(backend operations)”.归纳可知,零售业作业的构成规划正在改变,[b]正确。
[解题技巧][a]使用第三段第一句not all jobs are created equal设置反向烦扰,但这儿并非指“同工不一样酬”,而是指“岗位有差异”,且曲后文论说可知,如今零售业的新资很可以“愈加差异化”.[c]将第三段第五句“后台操作岗位(有些零售业岗位)新资更高扩展为”零售作业(全体)薪资添加”,犯下以偏概全的差错。[d]与第三段全体信息“有些可见岗位被不可以见岗位所替代(即:更多的零售业雇员被分配至不可以见岗位)”相反。
3.target事例标明商铺正在尽力 ____.
[a]改进购物领会 [b]将事务转到线上 [c]向具他作业扩展 [d]敌对新技能
[信息断定]由题干要害名词target定位至第三段第四至七句.该有些指出,target方案投人许多资金,高薪招聘专业人士,以改进顾客领会。可见[a]正确。
[解题技巧][b]将第三段第四句“改进实体店和线上的购物领会(both in-store and online)”误解为“将(实体店)事务转移到线衫淠[c]由第三段第七句碎片信息 other industries编造出“零售公司欲进军其他作业”,而辞意实指“零售业和其他作业境况类似(都遭到新技能的影响)”。[d]改动零售业的尽力方向:将其在尽力使用新技能改进效能(implement them in ways that help customers)”改为与之相悖的“在敌对新技能”。
4. 美国清空的店面可首要归结于 ______.
[a]经济撤离的持续影响 [b]花费热心的持续下滑
[c]曩昔对零售空间需要的差错核算 [d]当下零售商的空间节约知道短少
[信息断定]由题干要害词vacant storefronts 定位至第四段。该段指出,店面清空更多地是因为曩昔的差错(obvious reminders of past mistakes).第五段清楚该差错所指:曩昔美国对人均所需零售空间核算过高(大于实践需要),如今清空的店面是一种“回归正常”。可见[c]正确。
[解题技巧][a]将第四段第二句past mistakes 所指错认为第五段第三句的regression,并由此推出“(曩昔的)经济衰退对零售业构成持续影响”.实践上regression to the norm 意为“回归正常”,无关“经济衰退”.[b]将第四段第三句 american consumerism ballooned and a frenzy of malls…through the1980s当成偏重“花费热心高涨”,并片面得出“如今花费热心降低”,但实践上该句偏重“商场遍地开花”,文中并未谈及“花费者热心在持续降低”.[d]与对第五段第三句店面清空的非有必要缘由“如今商家的空间知道前进(growing)”完全相反。
5.以下哪一项作为文章标题最适合?
[a]零售业活得好好的 [b]零售业亟待改造
[c]假期出售额高涨 [d]假期出售额预算有误
[信息断定]首段引出一种观念“零售业正走向消亡”,介绍其两条根据“时节性雇员削减;店面清空”,并对该观念提出质疑。第二至五段具体争辩反驳两条根据,指出它们并非体现零售业的式微,而是体现了其活泼改动(改动职位规划,使用现代技能供给非常好的购物领会;对店面空间不再盲目求大,而是回归常态,空间节约知道增强)。第六段总结道,零售业正处于改变之中,用旧标准衡量其打开情况只能“歪曲实际”。可见这篇文章意在提示零售业的“真完成实”:不只并未走向消亡,反而恰当昌盛,[a]正确。
[解题技巧][b]将第六段第一句 have remained largely unchanged(根柢没有改变,言外之意“大约改动”)的主体“衡量花费者收购领会的标准”掉包为“零售业本身”,然后得出“零售业需要改造”.[c]、[d]均偏重“假期出售额(holiday sales)”,不能体现全文重视目标,且[d]将原文“衡量花费者收购领会的标准过期”误解为“假期出售被差错衡量”,而文中并未提及此疑问。
全文翻译
日益削减的招聘信息,日益添加的裁员,空空如也的店面。 阅读主导近期零售业报导的头条,粗心的调查者很简略会信赖“零售业正在消亡”这一观念。可是,几百万花费者正预备到实体商铺度过又一个黑色星期五,初步将其假期购物方案付诸施行。而且,与一线司理的攀谈会掀开一副与新闻头条所描绘的截然不一样的画面。
全美零售业联合会估计 2021 年零售业假期出售额将添加近6820亿美元,较上一年的破纪录数字上涨4%。但谈论者持续指向其他数据点,即时节性岗位的持续削减。时节性招聘于2013年抵达顶峰,新增作业76.4万,但此后几年一向快速下滑。此处得出的相关为:雇员削减天然生成就意味着(对零售业的)需要降低。
但并不是一切作业都“生来对等”,当下创造的岗位与十年前大纷歧样 。如今的零售业作业不只是是收银员、理货员这些每自个在假期购物时都能看见的作业。我们看不见的是商铺正在后台运营上投入的许多本钱.本年早些时分,塔吉特公司(target)宣告了一项70亿美元的方案,用以改进店内及线上的顾各领会.为了做到这点,他们将会需要网站及 app开发者,推广专家,商业分析师以及其他数种薪资更高的职位.正是这些职位在取仲泰节性职工。和其他工业相同,人工智能,机器人学及其他新技能将持续重塑零售业,这将需要思维镇密的专业人士运用新技能为顾客供给效能。
而且，清空的店面处处可见,并已变成“零售业正在消亡”这一论调的缩影。可是,这些店面与其说是当下发生趋势的受害者,不如说是曩昔所犯差错的显着提示物,曩昔整整半个世纪,美国花费主义灵敏胀大,整个20世纪80年代,商场和购物中心遍地开花。
其时,我们对人均所需面积的核算并不精确,且这一数字的胀大致使美国人均零售面积远超其他国家。2014年,美国(人均)零售面积仍达其他西方国家的6倍以上。前者近24平方英尺/人,相较之下，后者个足4平方英尺/人.在这种情况下,以定会有某种程度的回归常态,此外,“公司空间知道正在前进,越发重视怎样充分使用每一寸空间”这一实际也加强了这一趋势。
花费者的收购领会日益凌乱,衡量它们的标准却根柢未变。是时分换个镜头看待零售业了,因为咱们现有的镜头歪曲了实际。