Why Are Stores Closing? Economics & Business Lesson | Consumer Behavior, E-Commerce Activity

Description

Why Are Stores Closing? Business & Economics Lesson & Activity | Consumer Behavior, E-Commerce, Retail Trends Activity

Engage your students with a real-world, highly relevant lesson exploring why major retailers and local stores are shutting down. This interactive resource blends business, economics, and consumer decision-making, helping students connect classroom concepts to what they see every day—from empty malls to the rise of online shopping and the ‘Amazon effect.’

Students will analyze e-commerce growth, changing consumer behavior, rising costs, and competition while completing a hands-on project where they act as business consultants to “save a store.”

✅ Perfect for 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th grades (Middle School thru High School alike)

💯Perfect For Teaching:

• The “Amazon Effect” and online shopping trends
• Why malls are declining
• Business failures students recognize (Toys “R” Us, Sears, Kmart, etc.)
• Real-world economic thinking and analysis

❤️ Why Teachers Will Love This Lesson

✔️ Easy to implement – NO PREP required

✔️ Real-world connections students immediately understand
✔️ High engagement with discussion + project-based learning

✔️ Strong crossover between Business, Personal Finance, and FCS (Consumer Education) concepts
✔️ Builds critical thinking using current economic trends

❓What Students Will Learn

• Why stores close and businesses fail
• The impact of e-commerce (Amazon effect)
• How consumer behavior influences business success
• The role of costs, competition, and economic conditions
• How businesses adapt to meet consumer needs and financial realities

🧩 Student Activity Highlight

Students will:

1. Research a real, former business that no longer exists
2. Identify why it struggled or closed
3. Connect to key business concepts
4. Propose a “Save the Store” turnaround plan.

❓ What’s Included

✔️ 10-slide Google Slides Lesson (easily converts to PowerPoint)

✔️ 2-slide “Save the Store” Project-Based Activity
✔️ Visual, student-friendly slides with real-world examples
✔️ Guided discussion questions
✔️ Research + analysis framework
✔️Multiple final product options (presentation, report, slides)

⏱ Teaching Duration:

• Approximately 45 minutes lesson + classroom discussion
• Project extension option available for additional class time (60-90 minutes depending on how you chose to do the project)

🎯 What Class Is This For

• Introduction to Business
• Personal Finance
• Financial Literacy
• Economics
• Business Essentials
• Entrepreneurship
• Career & Technical Education (CTE)
• Family and Consumer Science (FCS) / Consumer Education

🏫 Pennsylvania Standards Alignment

(22 Pa. Code Chapter 4, Appendix F – Effective July 1, 2026)

This lesson aligns with:

17.2.9-12.A – Analyze factors affecting business success and failure
17.2.9-12.B – Evaluate the impact of competition on businesses
17.2.9-12.C – Explain how consumer demand influences business decisions
17.3.9-12.A – Analyze economic conditions affecting individuals and businesses

🤠 Texas TEKS Alignment

This lesson aligns with:

§130.182(c)(7)(A) – Explain economic factors that affect consumer behavior
§130.182(c)(7)(B) – Analyze how businesses respond to market conditions
§130.182(c)(8)(A) – Evaluate the role of competition in a market economy
§130.182(c)(9)(A) – Identify factors influencing business success or failure