Brick-and-mortar retailers like Sears may be struggling as they complete with online shops, but Central Florida’s retail market still is going strong.
Orlando’s booming $70 billion tourist industry, which attracted a record 72 million people in 2017, has created a continuous market for people who want to shop while they are in town to visit the area’s attractions, Florida Retail Federation Senior Director of External Affairs James Miller told Orlando Business Journal. On top of that, retail job growth nationwide increased by 15,200 jobs seasonably adjusted between November and December 2018, and by 37,600 jobs unadjusted year-over-year in December 2018, providing a steady growth of employment despite the troubles of some stores.