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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

#371

Post by phirschybar »

paulcole wrote: post #363
phirschybar wrote: post #263

Full disclosure: I am the co-founder and lead developer at https://www.locally.com . We do exactly what I describe below and we're seeing great results. People want to buy from their local stores. They just need the modern paths to purchase: BOPIS (buy online pick up in store), local delivery, and the knowledge oh what is in stock nearby. IMHO, the real path forward for retail is to get their in-stock goods in front…

> BOPIS Isn't this similar to the last-ditch effort Blockbuster tried while in its death throes? I remember them taking on Netflix with the idea that it sucked to wait for another movie in the mail, so just come into the store and pick up a new one! Not surprisingly, it turned out people hate going to stores more than they hate waiting.

I am not talking about digital goods.

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

#372

Post by woolvalley »

nihonde wrote: post #226
_ea1k wrote: post #199

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In the US, that market has been taken over by Walmart. It is effectively the "one stop shop" that people visit weekly for everything from groceries to small furniture. Now that I think about it, I wonder if Walmart has had almost as much of a negative impact on malls as Amazon and its ilk have.

A compare/contrast between Aeon and Walmart would be fascinating. I've literally never seen the inside of a Walmart, so I'm not qualified.

If you have been in a Target, then it's that but more run down. In Canada Walmart is equivalent to USA's Target quality wise. There is also zellers & kmart.

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

#373

Post by woolvalley »

ganoushoreilly wrote: post #170
nradov wrote: post #130

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Santana Row has been fairly successful in creating a sustainable artificial "downtown" mall in suburban San Jose. No ducks or waterfalls, but they frequently have live music and the café is decent. http://www.santanarow.com/

The other side of that is Santana row caters to high end buyers looking for high end brands that most malls won't carry. It's a bit of an edge case. They do have a Fogo de Chao though so that makes it cool in my book :D .

Espetus in San Mateo is far better than Fogo de Chao. :D

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

#374

Post by PerfectElement »

metalliqaz wrote: post #289
3pt14159 wrote: post #238

Earlier quoted context omitted.

North Americans are too soft. I live in Toronto and it's wonderful to have nice streets that you can walk and bike on, even at ±30C.

I thought Toronto was part of North America... Also, doesn't Montreal have the Underground City specifically for staying out of the cold in the winter?

He or she is probably not North American.

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

#375

Post by corey_moncure »

timthelion wrote: post #101
fhood wrote: post #79

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

If only stores would let you test audio equipment! I've yet to see an electronics store where most headphones/earbuds could be tested.

https://goo.gl/images/L53u9i

This is still the reality in countries where the social fabric hasn't disintegrated.

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

#376

Post by lifeformed »

vijayr wrote: post #341
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…

same with airports - just why do we need sooooooo many shops right next to the terminals? I understand travelers might need some basic stuff (food, water etc) but why other crap, especially so close to the terminals? no wonder airports are so huge

There's a lot of downtime for travelers, so shops are a good way for airports to make money, and for travelers to relieve boredom. The airports aren't big because of the shops, they're big because the planes and tarmacs need tons of space.

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

#377

Post by paulcole »

phirschybar wrote: post #371
paulcole wrote: post #363

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> BOPIS Isn't this similar to the last-ditch effort Blockbuster tried while in its death throes? I remember them taking on Netflix with the idea that it sucked to wait for another movie in the mail, so just come into the store and pick up a new one! Not surprisingly, it turned out people hate going to stores more than they hate waiting.

I am not talking about digital goods.

Neither was I.

For many years Netflix actually mailed DVDs (physical goods) to your home.

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

#378

Post by jtmcmc »

crankylinuxuser wrote: post #205
_ea1k wrote: post #178

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree. It feels like a lot of malls have basically optimized themselves for a customer base that is not really sustainable.

Indeed. I know it's changed a ton since I grew up in the '80s. I remember Spaceport and Aladin's castle. .25$ arcades, and $1 gave 5 tokens. You could play for hours just on $5. And they allowed kids, competitions, and all sorts of things. I'd go hang out while my parents were shopping, and just chill. There also used to be, in quite a lot of the malls, a jungle gym or playground area. They'd be full of kids, and you…

I had a birthday party at an aladdin's castle!

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

#379

Post by unabst »

tomjakubowski wrote: post #179
unabst wrote: post #163

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Even Beverly Hills has great parking. The major bottleneck downtown is parking right now and has been for a while. SM moved fast to build multiple parking structures... and that's where all the foot traffic comes from. Not sure why DTLA is so nonchalant about this. Don't see any construction whatsoever.

You don’t see any construction in DTLA? Are we both living in 2017? It seems like every other day a new 40+ story mixed-use tower, with requisite parking structure, is breaking ground around here. The thing that baffled me about downtown’s parking situation was how so many otherwise undeveloped parking lots managed to stick around given the opportunity cost of land downtown. That was until I realized a production cre…

Sorry, of parking structures is what I meant. I work in DTLA.

I am always marveled when I go to SM. Huge modern parking structures on every block.

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

#380

Post by unabst »

Gargoyle wrote: post #255
unabst wrote: post #163

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Even Beverly Hills has great parking. The major bottleneck downtown is parking right now and has been for a while. SM moved fast to build multiple parking structures... and that's where all the foot traffic comes from. Not sure why DTLA is so nonchalant about this. Don't see any construction whatsoever.

Downtown LA has a fantastic parking situation compared to almost any other major city. Tons and tons of cheap parking. Parking is not DTLA's problem.

Sure, compared to Tokyo and Manhattan. But everyone commutes using the train there.

DTLA is different. It is still within the driving circuit, and all other LA shopping destinations have decent free or cheap parking.

Paying 11 dollars just to park might be okay for work, but not okay if you're just looking to walk around or shop.

That's why BH and SM and all major malls have free or cheap parking. DTLA can't compete with these destinations in retail, until they fix this.

Joe's parking is not going to cut it.

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