Greetings, and Happy New Year! I hope you had a nice holiday season. Mine was great, as we welcomed a new baby girl to our family! Little Olivia was born on December 10, 2018 and was the best Christmas present that my family and I could have hoped for.

How was 2018 in the retail sector? Looking back, we did not see the Retail Apocalypse as many media outlets predicted. Despite many challenges throughout the retail industry, with retailers such as Toys “R” Us, Orchard Supply, and Kmart shutting down all or most of their locations, our industry is by no means dying. Here are some of the positive aspects that don’t often make the headlines: