The death of retail

We keep hearing about the death of retail, how now most shopping is done online and people don't bother with "bricks and mortars" stores. But could there eventually be a backlash? In my formative years, going to the mall was a big deal. Not to shop, but to see and be seen by other members of the peer group. I keep hearing about how kids are not getting out as much, including the claims that traffic fatalities are down because teenagers socialize by text message. We may be overbuilt with malls, but I just can't see the social experience of malls overtaken by text messaging and delivery services. Is the so-called "death of retail" over-hyped? Do we need a new kind of bricks-and-mortar gathering place, or is everyone happy communicating in an online environment? Will Amazon turn Whole Foods into just another Internet service, or will it remain a place where like-minded shoppers gather?

I have no statistics, would be interested in evidence that either confirms that we are our no longer interested in gathering places, or reveals a new mode of socialization that will look completely different than the traditional model. Personally, I will shop retail for the chance to try clothes on, but then order online once I'm sure of what I'll be getting. How much longer will that factor be in play? How long until all shopping is online and bricks-and-mortar stores are completely obsolete? What could happen that would tip people back into traditional retail? I'd be interested in hearing ideas.