Is the Zappos closure another sign of an e-commerce decline?

Access Louisville

In pandemic times, buying stuff online has been a way of life. But the white hot e-commerce sector may be cooling off.

This week, Zappos confirmed it is winding down operations at its warehouse and outlet store on Minor Lane in Louisville. On this week's Access Louisville podcast, reporter Eleanor Tolbert tells us more about the company's reasoning.

Zappos isn't the only e-commerce giant that's recalibrating for current demand: Last month, Shopify laid off 10% of its workforce and GoPuff closed dozens of warehouses. In May, Amazon, one of the biggest consumers of warehouse space, told investors it had excess capacity in its fulfillment and transportation network, posting its first financial loss since 2015.

But that downturn isn't necessarily decreasing the appetite to build new industrial facilities, Tobert shared, mentioning this big project at River Ridge Commerce Center.

Of course, no Access Louisville podcast would be complete without some bar and restaurant news. We talk about Board & You Cafe in Norton Commons, as well as some growing chains like Crumbl Cookies and Chick-fil-A. Plus there's a new craft-your-own-cocktail event venue coming to town, so we chat about some of our favorite local beverages.