Due to current developments in retail, city centers are increasingly losing their profile in prime locations and are becoming interchangeable replicas that could just as easily be found in large centers far from metropolitan areas. The future of brick-and-mortar retail appears uncertain: while some believe that physical retail is only engaged in a retreat against the overwhelming competition from online sales, others see the additional online trade as a saving future model for an industry that is struggling with various challenges, such as the high level of chain stores in German city centers and declining margins alongside rising costs. Against the backdrop of this discussion, this study aims to examine the situation of brick-and-mortar retail and the challenges it faces.