Digital sales, both online and mobile, passed the $100 billion mark in the first quarter for the first time in a non-holiday period. There are three business developments – mobile innovation, reduced shipping costs, and increased speed – that can help address retail struggles, a report from Cowen and Company says. At a time when historic change occurs seemingly at the blink of an eye – cell phones allow consumers to independently price check items in store, kiosks replace human cashiers at McDonald's amid traditional retail struggles in the face of the Amazon apocalypse – retail stocks that embrace the change and benefit from it will be the likely survivors.

