Industry experts forecast a comeback of physical stores, smaller store footprints and an end to massive bankruptcy announcements.

The past 12 months in the retail

sector brought with it a barrage of national retailer bankruptcies and store closures, more malls boasting “experiences,” bricks-and-mortar chains beefing up their online presence and more clicks-to-brick moves among e-commerce players.

It’s time to look at expectations for 2019, and NREI asked leading experts for an outlook on what the year could bring.

In the following gallery, you will find their top predictions.