Final answer:
The statement regarding retailers' frustration with showrooming is true. Showrooming involves customers comparing prices with other retailers, especially online, while shopping in physical stores, which can lead to lower profits for those stores. Retail landscape evolution, including the practice of showrooming, exemplifies the shift towards intensified competition and necessity for retailers to adapt.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that some retailers are frustrated by showrooming where customers use their smartphones to scan the barcodes of products to compare prices from other stores and online shopping sites is True. Showrooming has become a common practice as technology affords consumers the ability to check for the best deals in real-time while shopping in physical stores. This behavior increases competition among retailers and can lead to decreased profit margins for brick-and-mortar stores when they can't match the lower prices found online.
Throughout history, shopping experiences have evolved significantly. The transformation from an interactive community event to a more individualistic and automated process has changed the way consumers and retailers interact. In today's retail environment, stores must compete with both the sensory experience and personal interactions of historical marketplace shopping as well as the convenience and pricing advantages of online retailers.
The extensive choice and variety offered by establishments like the Mall of America, which features a vast number of stores selling similar but not identical products, exemplify the concept of monopolistic competition in retail. Retail competition is further exacerbated by online shopping, which is widespread, convenient, and provides a platform for consumer reviews and interaction. This modern landscape of consumption underlines the importance for retailers to adapt to these competitive pressures to maintain profitability.