Over 5,000 brick and mortar retail locations closed in 2017, and the real estate industry is starting to show a change in direction. The front cover of one prominent retail publication went as far as predicting the "death of retail." However, before every city manager and budget director starts to freak out, let’s dig into what this actually means for taxing jurisdictions.

Over 5,000 brick and mortar retail locations closed in 2017, and the real estate industry is starting to show a change in direction. The front cover of one prominent retail publication went as far as predicting the "death of retail." However, before every city manager and budget director starts to freak out, let’s dig into what this actually means for taxing jurisdictions.

What are the facts? The face of retail is changing, and as a taxing entity, now would be a great time to start diving into data in order to understand your risk. How your local jurisdiction derives sales tax is the first step. If you are heavily dependent on anchored retail power centers with clothing, fashion, and electronics, take a minute to digest these numbers: