41–50 of 276 posts
Of all the things in the world, children's toys are THE most amenable to replacement by makers, tinkerers, and other people who want to do something in the real world. (Alas, that's not what's happened. People just buy the cheap plastic crap from Amazon.)
It really is unfortunate that stores I grew up with as a kid, ones like KB Toys, Montgomery Wards, Service Merchandise, Blockbuster, Kmart/Sears, and now even Toys"R"Us have gone by the wayside for one reason or another. It both depresses me and blows my mind that future generations may not even be able to experience Brick and Mortar.
Do we really want our kids to enjoy fluorescent-lit warehouses full of cheap crap that will be thrown away a couple months after it's bought?
Because right now the only thing kids want to do is click buttons on a computer.
Does this mean that the "R Us" trademark suits will cease[1]? [1] https://www.lexisnexis.com/legalnewsroom/intellectual-proper...
Take the same building, reduce the space dedicated to toy sales, open up a series of indoor playgrounds and gymnasiums. Heck maybe carve out a daycare facility. Maybe some sort of toy lab for kids to try before they buy. Refocus the concept on being a real place for kids to grow and I think you'd see customers coming in the door again.
A place to try before you buy on amazon.
I felt horrible when Borders went under, but I do the same at B&N. If brick-n-mortar want to compete with Amazon, they need to compete with their prices. However, they also have a lot of additional overhead that makes it untenable.
This trend of resellers is going to occur until Amazon dominates the market, or we start buying direct from vendors which doesn't seem likely for many items.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Do we really want our kids to enjoy fluorescent-lit warehouses full of cheap crap that will be thrown away a couple months after it's bought?
The web is great when you know exactly what you want to buy. Brick and mortar is great when you’re still deciding. Web is very very far from solving the browsing problem. Sometimes I know I want but have no idea what exactly I want. So you go to the store to look around. Sometimes I also like to ask the sales associate, “I have so and so nephew, what should I get for them?”. Web still sucks at solving the librarian/c…
I may be a rarity, but I still miss Blockbuster for this reason.
It really is unfortunate that stores I grew up with as a kid, ones like KB Toys, Montgomery Wards, Service Merchandise, Blockbuster, Kmart/Sears, and now even Toys"R"Us have gone by the wayside for one reason or another. It both depresses me and blows my mind that future generations may not even be able to experience Brick and Mortar.
Can someone explain why it would be loaded up with debt on going private?
Fairly typical large cap PE strategy. Load the company up with debt then sell it off and let the company figure it out after. Note - not all PE firms do this (big or small) but it is a common strategy that does earn them money.
I have come to the conclusion that it is very hard for a specialty businesses to survive in the era of Walmart and Amazon - which does not bode well long term for places like Barnes & Noble and Gamestop. I hope I am wrong.
These stores are all middlemen and if it's their sole function, they should expect to compete on efficiency.
However, there are tons of smaller stores that I still frequent due to atmosphere, niche goods, or a niche appeal. For example, friendly local game stores that have excellent customer service or local grocery stores that actually source their products using local connections. One provides an atmosphere that keeps it busy every time that I've been and the other provides goods that I can't find anywhere else, unless I'm getting a substitute good.
Brick and mortar stores that lack either should expect to go under, and hopefully be replaced by higher quality stores.
It really is unfortunate that stores I grew up with as a kid, ones like KB Toys, Montgomery Wards, Service Merchandise, Blockbuster, Kmart/Sears, and now even Toys"R"Us have gone by the wayside for one reason or another. It both depresses me and blows my mind that future generations may not even be able to experience Brick and Mortar.