America’s ‘Retail Apocalypse’ Is Really Just Beginning • Hacker News Board

Re: America’s ‘Retail Apocalypse’ Is Really Just Beginning

#41

Post by hammock » Wed, Nov 08, 2017, 5:15 PM UTC

ewheeler wrote: post #13

The 'Retail jobs growth by state' chart in this article (approx 2/3 down the page) is lovely: one square line chart for each US state, positioned roughly according to geography, all equal in size. I find it very easy to grok compared to choropleth maps and similar charts that attempt to stay true to geography. Unlike other non-map presentations of US state data, this layout preserves ability to spot regional similari…

The chart itself is called a sparkline.[1] Neat use to organize many of them into the shape of the US

[1]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sparkline

Re: America’s ‘Retail Apocalypse’ Is Really Just Beginning

#42

Post by crisdux » Wed, Nov 08, 2017, 5:15 PM UTC

I'd imagine this is also partly due to the America's demographic changes and the aging population. The large baby boomer generation is retiring and entering a period in their lives where their consumption is lower. Generation X is smaller and can't keep up the consumption. Generation Y is slowly entering a consumption phase.

Re: America’s ‘Retail Apocalypse’ Is Really Just Beginning

#43

Post by mjevans » Wed, Nov 08, 2017, 5:16 PM UTC

excalibur wrote: post #36

brango wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They're aggregators. There's value in going to a single shop to buy everything instead of going to 200 individual suppliers for your weekly shopping.

It's not really relevant, but I'm having a hard time picturing a household that consumes 200 unique items every week. Must be pretty fancy.

Try to think of a house using ingredients and some portion of 200 complete items.

Also the odd item you occasionally need when something goes out of stock locally (like a trash bag, clothing reaches end of useful life etc).

Re: America’s ‘Retail Apocalypse’ Is Really Just Beginning

#44

Post by cptskippy » Wed, Nov 08, 2017, 5:16 PM UTC

mjevans wrote: post #16

I really hate investment firms that operate entirely on financial trickery instead of actually sound business activities that increase productivity. I still think there's a problem with retail, but adding the above seems like salting the earth you're trying to grow a diverse farm in.

I agree. These investment firms pickup companies for a song when their stock prices fall and then basically gut them of any value they possess. They force the companies to take on massive liabilities that make them unsustainable. Then they slap on a fresh coat of paint and sell them off to any sucker whose willing to buy them. They leave these companies circling the drain.

Is this capitalism in it's final form?

Re: America’s ‘Retail Apocalypse’ Is Really Just Beginning

#45

Post by have_faith » Wed, Nov 08, 2017, 5:17 PM UTC

sytelus wrote: post #31

brango wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They're aggregators. There's value in going to a single shop to buy everything instead of going to 200 individual suppliers for your weekly shopping.

Aggregation, filtering, sorting, recommendations could be best handled by machines. All businesses specializing in this using human efforts are at grave risk.

> best handled by machines

I don't think best is correct in a lot of contexts, but just good enough is enough in most cases.

Re: America’s ‘Retail Apocalypse’ Is Really Just Beginning

#46

Post by IcePenguino » Wed, Nov 08, 2017, 5:18 PM UTC

It may be anecdotal, but the local retail malls have put up their holiday decorations earlier than ever before. Every pole wrapped and bows everywhere. Feels like they're trying to fight the good fight.

Re: America’s ‘Retail Apocalypse’ Is Really Just Beginning

#47

Post by lotsofpulp » Wed, Nov 08, 2017, 5:19 PM UTC

Analemma_ wrote: post #17

Make sure you read the article and don't just come here to comment: there's an important point that this isn't (just) due to Amazon and overbuilding, but because a lot of these troubled chains-- even the ones that are still profitable!-- are loaded up on debt from leveraged private equity buyouts. Once again, PE accomplishes nothing except stripping healthy companies to sell their organs.

I posit that shopping by visiting multiple stores and maybe finding what you need is a less optimal experience than choosing what you want on a screen and having it delivered. You waste less time, vehicle and fuel expenses, and you get what you want. There might be a few niches where touching or trying it on make for a better shopping experience, but for the most part, I think people would be opting for online purchasing which would put many stores in trouble even without the debt.

Re: America’s ‘Retail Apocalypse’ Is Really Just Beginning

#48

Post by cbhl » Wed, Nov 08, 2017, 5:19 PM UTC

ewheeler wrote: post #13

The 'Retail jobs growth by state' chart in this article (approx 2/3 down the page) is lovely: one square line chart for each US state, positioned roughly according to geography, all equal in size. I find it very easy to grok compared to choropleth maps and similar charts that attempt to stay true to geography. Unlike other non-map presentations of US state data, this layout preserves ability to spot regional similari…

I felt like this chart shows that retail store closures are a lagging indicator for employment. Stores are up in NY, WA, TX -- all states where people migrate to to work in tech companies. (Not sure about ND and UT, though.)

Re: America’s ‘Retail Apocalypse’ Is Really Just Beginning

#49

Post by yardie » Wed, Nov 08, 2017, 5:19 PM UTC

sytelus wrote: post #31

brango wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They're aggregators. There's value in going to a single shop to buy everything instead of going to 200 individual suppliers for your weekly shopping.

Aggregation, filtering, sorting, recommendations could be best handled by machines. All businesses specializing in this using human efforts are at grave risk.

> Aggregation, filtering, sorting, recommendations could be best handled by machines.

That only changes who those middlemen are and their scope. Based on what I'm currently seeing on search machines can only deliver exactly what I'm asking for. Rarely do they recommendations that aren't patterns. For example, I was looking for backup software a few months ago, I get tons of ad pages on backup software now. I purchased that software months ago and no longer need backup software. It's probably going to be many more months before my search history cycles out of ad networks.

Another example. A road was recently converted to pedestrian only in my neighborhood. Would you like to know the number of Lyft/Uber drivers that follow Google Maps end up at a dead end and have to double back? And that is coming from the world's most powerful search engine.

Re: America’s ‘Retail Apocalypse’ Is Really Just Beginning

#50

Post by gozur88 » Wed, Nov 08, 2017, 5:22 PM UTC

viridian wrote: post #8

danharaj wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Unless store closings have higher order effects, like making it difficult to finance the operations of the stores that don't close.

Not to mention the network effects. If half the stores in a mall close with no new ones opening, that whole mall is going to go under, and it's going to damage all the stores in the process.

Plus everyone who worked at those closed stores is now out of a job.