With Black Friday setting the tone for the holiday season, busy days are ahead for discount store operators in the country. In fact, stocks of most retailers were higher on Monday, thanks to holiday binge shopping, sending S&P 500 retail index up around 1.3%.

Of late, retailers who follow the traditional brick and mortar business model have been facing stiff competition from the digital space. Under pressure from the onslaught of e-commerce behemoths like Amazon, most store operators are forced to enhance their online presence in order to stay afloat. Data from various research banks show that footfalls declined 4% in stores last week, while Amazon gobbled up around half of the online sales.

The credit card glitch that gave a horrifying experience to several Macy’s customers on Black Friday underscores the need to have a fool-proof digital platform for running a retail business successfully these days. Unfortunately, the setback came at a time when Macy’s has been trying to regain balance after registering negative sales growth consistently.

What needs to be seen now is how far these retailers can remain profitable this year, by playing around with their inventories and offering heavy discounts to beat online prices, both of which are merely short-term solutions.

Happy Holidays Everyone!