By Eric Stock

BLOOMINGTON – A local economic developer said all the talk of major retailers closing is just the tip of the iceberg in a rapidly changing marketplace.

“I think we are just at the beginning, I think it’s sort of a tsunami of changing retail as we know it,” CEO of the Bloomington-Normal Economic Development Council Kyle Ham said. “People are shopping on the internet, on their phones; Amazon can have it delivered to your house. You can return it if you don’t want it. It’s very easy to do.”

PODCAST: Listen to Scott and Patti’s interview with Ham on WJBC.

Ham told WJBC’s Scott Laughlin and Patti Penn retailers that don’t apart to changes in consumer habits won’t survive.

“I won’t give a specific name, but if you walk into one of these stores 40 years ago it might look similar to what it does today,” Ham said. “So how are they evolving as a store to promote their products and think differently. It’s going to change dramatically everywhere.”

Macy’s is closing more than 100 stores nationwide including the store at Eastland Mall in Bloomington. J.C. Penney plans to close up to 140 stores in the next several months. The status of the Bloomington location is uncertain.

Eric Stock can be reached at [email protected].