Somewhere in the evolution of man (and woman), shopping moved from simply being a method to acquire necessities — food to prevent starvation, clothes to prevent freezing, tools to prevent being stymied by impenetrable plastic packaging (reader, I sense a wry smile here — Ed.) — to a social experience shared with others. No-one goes to the mall alone. Entire weekends are planned around shopping expeditions with friends. Even grocery shopping has become a time to reconnect with friends via mobile phones as the shopper chats while browsing the fresh food section. Pictures of interesting produce are taken and instantly shared. It’s no surprise, then, that the retail sector performs whether the economy is up or down.

But not all retail is equal. The entire world seems to be bifurcating between the haves and the have-nots, and retail is no exception. The difference, however, is that the retail haves are at both the top and the bottom, and the have-nots are floating aimlessl