Mon, May 28, 2012, 3:38 PM EDT - U.S. Markets closed for Memorial Day

Marc Andreessen: Retailers Should Be Scared About 2012

Investor Marc Andreessen thinks traditional retailers are going to feel the heat next year as e-commerce "category killers" in verticals like electronics and home furnishings clean up.

That's what he told CNET in an interview where he offered up some predictions for the coming year. 

"If I own mall real estate or retail stores in cities, or if I own chains like electronics chains, I'd be concerned."

Retailers typically operate at very low margins, and have to carry massive inventory -- their stores are like warehouses filled with "economic dead weight."

He also said that the smartphone revolution is just getting started, and that simpler feature phones will gradually disappear from the developing world over the next five years. This paves the way for all kinds of new businesses like Foursquare and Uber.

Read the whole thing here.



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