How would you describe retailing in the United States in terms of structure?

In the context of retailing in the United States, describing it as consolidated highlights the trend where a smaller number of large retailers dominate the market. This consolidation has been largely driven by mergers and acquisitions, enabling these large firms to achieve economies of scale, improved bargaining power with suppliers, and extensive distribution networks.

This focus on consolidation reflects how major retailers like Walmart and Amazon have grown to control significant market shares, while many smaller businesses struggle to compete. The concentration of market power among these few large players influences pricing, product availability, and customer service standards across the retail landscape.

While there are certainly smaller and independent retailers that contribute to the overall market, the dominant presence of large retail chains defines the structure as consolidated rather than dispersed, decentralized, or fragmented. Each of those other terms suggests a broader distribution of market power and influence among many smaller players, which does not accurately capture the current state of the U.S. retail market.