Retailers are struggling but Amazon is not to blame

The new year kicked off with more gloomy news for retailers. Many were quick to point the finger at ecommerce titan Amazon for monopolising shopper attention, squeezing margins and driving historic brands into irrelevance.
Although Amazon has driven consumer expectations ever higher, is it really to blame for profit warnings at high street fixtures such as Marks & Spencer, Debenhams and Mothercare? Surely its success does not mean shopkeepers should pull down their shutters once and for all?