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America’s ‘Retail Apocalypse’ Is Really Just Beginning

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

#71

Post by efields »

irrational wrote: post #12
Retric wrote: post #3

Retail is dependent on consumer spending. As more stores close the remainder should be more profitable, which should minimize ripple effects.

Do you still shop in brick and mortar stores? Other than food (groceries and restaurants) and sometimes clothing, I haven't shopped in a brick and mortar store in so long that I can't even remember when was the last time. It's just so easy to buy things online, even small one off purchases. The other day I needed some AAA batteries so I just hopped on Amazon and ordered them and they showed up a day later. I probably…

Yes, but I live less than two blocks away from two stores that factor into my lifestyle: ACE Hardware (i own a house and can do a lot of the maintenance on my own), and a local pet supplies store (1 dog, 1 cat).

Yes, i definitely pay a premium for purchases I make at each one of these. But it’s not an astronomical amount, and it makes more sense if you think about these kind of stores as local warehouses.

Why don’t I just have a 70lb bag of dog food delivered every n days? Idk, I don’t want to have to think about the dog food until I have to think about the dog food. If dog food shows up when I’m out of town, or there’s actually a weeks worth of food left because Externalities, now I have an extra dog food storage problem.

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

#72

Post by gremlinsinc »

agumonkey wrote: post #53
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.

Fair point but this function grants them immoral control of both ends of the market. Often they lie to producers to lower prices then lie to consumers by selling these deal at the usual rate (or faking a false discount week for appearances and then put back products back on the normal shelves). As other said, economic and information asymmetry is not good. Honestly .. aggregators should be a national thing, there's a…

There's already a national aggregator... Amazon. Anything more 'nationalized' would smell of socialism and nobody's ready for that.. Though I wouldn't mind socialized medicine/education personally.

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

#73

Post by gozur88 »

Danihan wrote: post #6

imo this comes down to centralization and the popularity of "big box" stores. People generally don't want to go to a specialty store anymore, the toy section at Walmart is fine.

These things go in cycles. When I was a kid if you wanted a toy you went to the toy section of a department store. The department stores spent decades contracting as specialty stores boomed. And now the specialty stores are shrinking in favor of the big box stores.

It's likely the specialty stores are being crushed by online retailers. Their raison d'être was always having more inventory depth than general retail, e.g. the shoe store has a much better selection than the shoe department at Sears. But if you're after selection, you can't do better than your browser.

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

#74

Post by dxtr »

irrational wrote: post #12
Retric wrote: post #3

Retail is dependent on consumer spending. As more stores close the remainder should be more profitable, which should minimize ripple effects.

Do you still shop in brick and mortar stores? Other than food (groceries and restaurants) and sometimes clothing, I haven't shopped in a brick and mortar store in so long that I can't even remember when was the last time. It's just so easy to buy things online, even small one off purchases. The other day I needed some AAA batteries so I just hopped on Amazon and ordered them and they showed up a day later. I probably…

I even order all my food online. The only stuff we buy in physical stores are stuff we want now (“crap! I’m out of coffee”)

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

#75

Post by munificent »

hprotagonist wrote: post #2

in general, it is difficult for me to separate a reasonable concern borne of the knowledge that a thriving economy is important from a sense that, so far, the big retail chains that are closing many locations sell junk that i both do not want and think is largely superfluous anyway. Anyone got a reasonable way to synthesize those competing thoughts?

I think the America that will result from this die-off is a better place. Less suburban sprawl. Less giant eyesore big-box stores that no one enjoys spending time in. More informed purchases because people buy stuff online where it's easier to compare reviews.

But I think there will be significant, very painful collateral damage to people during this transition and I've very sympathetic to people hit by the job losses. Retail is one of the few remaining sectors in small towns. Most other work is becoming increasingly concentrated in big cities or automated away. The days of the US as a patchwork of thriving small towns is ending, but many people still live in those towns. Worse, the ones still there are often there because they are the least able to move — poverty, family commitments, etc.

The US is rapidly turning into a country that has no place for the unskilled, but is also failing to provide the education needed to deal with the millions of unskilled citizens.

I'm also confident that in all of this, it's not the finance industry that's going to be hurt. They'll pull another "too big to fail" maneuver and we taxpayers will bail them out, yet again transferring money to the ultra-rich.

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

#77

Post by [deleted] »

pascalxus wrote: post #60

Malls hold no interest for me whatsoever. There's nothing there worthwhile, other than employment. Malls have nothing: no libraries, no Good Cafes, no places to hang out, no parks, no museums, no zoos, limited live music, no outdoors. And the few things it does have: like some book stores and places to eat, are all engineered to get you in and out and back to the Mall's singular focus: Spend, spend, spend: shop till…

[deleted]

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

#78

Post by agumonkey »

gremlinsinc wrote: post #72
agumonkey wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Fair point but this function grants them immoral control of both ends of the market. Often they lie to producers to lower prices then lie to consumers by selling these deal at the usual rate (or faking a false discount week for appearances and then put back products back on the normal shelves). As other said, economic and information asymmetry is not good. Honestly .. aggregators should be a national thing, there's a…

There's already a national aggregator... Amazon. Anything more 'nationalized' would smell of socialism and nobody's ready for that.. Though I wouldn't mind socialized medicine/education personally.

Come on, I'm talking about a storage space, not controlling peoples life.

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

#79

Post by fhood »

pascalxus wrote: post #60

Malls hold no interest for me whatsoever. There's nothing there worthwhile, other than employment. Malls have nothing: no libraries, no Good Cafes, no places to hang out, no parks, no museums, no zoos, limited live music, no outdoors. And the few things it does have: like some book stores and places to eat, are all engineered to get you in and out and back to the Mall's singular focus: Spend, spend, spend: shop till…

I agree with you 95%. But 5% of me recognizes that certain items require a test run before purchase. In my case those would be Audio equipment, instruments and tennis rackets. None of those can be confidently purchased solely on the impressions of others.

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

#80

Post by m0llusk »

irrational wrote: post #12
Retric wrote: post #3

Retail is dependent on consumer spending. As more stores close the remainder should be more profitable, which should minimize ripple effects.

Do you still shop in brick and mortar stores? Other than food (groceries and restaurants) and sometimes clothing, I haven't shopped in a brick and mortar store in so long that I can't even remember when was the last time. It's just so easy to buy things online, even small one off purchases. The other day I needed some AAA batteries so I just hopped on Amazon and ordered them and they showed up a day later. I probably…

Recently I was tempted to buy a fancy tool but when I picked one up at a store I realized the handle didn't fit my hand at all. Talking over alternatives with an experienced seller was helpful. Retail has an important future even though it will be smaller and more focused.
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