Shoppers here go about their usual routines, but seldom, if ever, can one be heard expressing “out of nowhere” what is on his or her mind while walking amid racks of clothing looking for a particular item or size.

It might be refreshing to shoppers and be a future bragging point on behalf of this region’s brick-and-mortar retailers if at least some area stores would assign occasionally an assistant manager or some other designated employee to watch customers’ facial expressions for the purpose of inquiring about their shopping experience in progress and what might be improved.

Yes, a part of that would be to obtain specific information about the frustrations they might be experiencing, if applicable, and what otherwise might be improved.

Retailers here are in a competition “war” against retailers elsewhere, year-round, and always should exhibit determination to be tops in commitment to meeting shoppers’ needs and expectations and wanting them to return often.

Leading into the year-end holidays, the Mirror always stresses the importance of area shoppers making their holiday purchases at area brick-and-mortar stores and reminding them of the possible consequences here if area shoppers flock to businesses elsewhere or ignore area stores in favor of online shopping, sometimes productive but sometimes the opposite.

It is not an upcoming “Christmas in July” promotion or some other special event that has prompted this writing, but rather several news articles that have been published in recent weeks, not only in the Mirror but also in the Wall Street Journal.

Three Journal articles that caught our attention were “Stores suffer as online retail rules the roost (Feb. 24),” “Don’t expect buyers to save the economy (March 12)” and “U.S. consumer outlook dims in key survey (March 26).” Among the Mirror articles of which we took special note was March 26’s “Consumer confidence hits 12-year low.”

It is that Feb. 24 Journal article that this editorial mainly will focus on. It begins:

“E-commerce didn’t kill bricks-and-mortar stores, but it made them worse. Much worse.

“Physical stores today are understaffed and full of inconveniences such as locked shelves and self-checkout lines. Now, add one more gripe to the list: not enough stuff.

“If you have ever trekked to a store only to be told the item you are looking for is out of stock but can be ordered online, you aren’t alone. The practice is so common that retailers have a name for it — SOS, with the letters meaning Save Our Sale.”

Actually, there is more than one name. Another is “Retail gymnastics.”

The same Journal article says “nearly three-quarters of consumers prefer shopping in physical stores, but only 9% are satisfied with the store experience.”

Chief among the complaints is a lack of product variety and availability in stores, the article says, referring to a 2024 survey of 20,000 people in 26 countries.

Don Hendricks, chief executive of department store chain Belk, alleges that “retailers have pivoted too hard to e-commerce and neglected the in-store experience, and that has got to swing back.”

Some area merchants probably share that view while others disagree. However, if no change is forthcoming, it seems likely that vacant storefronts will continue to increase markedly, “thanks” also to sagging consumer confidence based on what is happening in Washington.

As for the article about buyers not saving the economy, that report focuses in part on heightened credit stress among high-income consumers.

All considered, “Christmas in July” this year might not have a merry message.