Flagships have long been considered a key part of any retail brand — and the type of offering considered well-equipped to survive the e-commerce blitz. But a series of major closures this year has many grappling with how these costly flagship stores should be reshaped for retail’s new world order. “When these big brands start to close down flagships … it really begs the question of what else what might be going on,” said Author Mark Ryski, the founder and CEO of Headcount Corp., a retail analytics company. “The advantages of having a flagship … is to really put forward to your best offering, your best service experience.”