Slowing Economy Or Disruptors?

Yesterday was the career fair. I was surprised by the number of companies that were not there and the number of companies that had booth space but did not show up. We continue to hear about layoffs. HSBC announced that 35,000 of its employees would be laid off this year. We hear from alumni that other companies are laying off employees. We also read about store closures from companies like Macy’s and Pier 1, who also filed for bankruptcy. The retail industry is reeling from store closures and bankruptcies. Is this a portend of a pulling back of the economy? Or is this just a result of the disruptors from the online marketplace? According to Forbes, disruptors create businesses, products, and better services. They are better by being less expensive, more creative, useful, impactful and are scaleable. I guess we will have to wait and see whether it is the economy slowing or disruptors. (https://www.forbes.com/sites/carolinehoward/2013/03/27/you-say-innovator-i-say-disruptor-whats-the-difference/#6b3ad6696f43)