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Mall landlords struggling to find takers at a price they’ll accept

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Re: Mall landlords struggling to find takers at a price they’ll accept

#171

Post by throwawayjava »

pascalxus wrote: post #157
throwawayjava wrote: post #133

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> they're all based on materialist consumerism... Libraries, Gyms, yoga centers, Cafes, Restaurants, movie theaters, science museums, bike repair shops, ceramic hobby shops and indoor swimming pools, theaters and historic museums Aside from libraries and (some but certainly not all) museums, aren't all of these examples of things that fit well within materialist consumerism? I also prefer yoga studios, expensive coff…

The things I mentioned are mainly about experiences. For example, with a 5$ cup of coffee you get a great third place to hang out in an inspiring location, comfortable seat, stable table and wifi: it's not really about the coffee (for me anyways).

> The things I mentioned are mainly about experiences

I've become convinced that clothing and shoe shopping is also "mainly about the experience" for many people.

I don't get it, and I'm happy to see enough others who don't get it so that there's a critical mass of consumers for the business that provide the things I enjoy to thrive. But I do believe it's a matter of preference (and perhaps also of environmental/economic impact).

Re: Mall landlords struggling to find takers at a price they’ll accept

#172

Post by Can_Not »

pofilat wrote: post #144
jasode wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>Question: what can be done with all that retail space? Is there a new use of space that will come up? If they can't attract traditional retail tenants, some dead-mall owners have resorted to transforming them into community event centers, offices, or even apartments.[1] I don't know about the profitability of apartments but the community centers do not make enough money relative to the expenses of property taxes and…

Those examples tell me that people don't want to buy as much expensive products anymore; they prefer cheap stuff.

Especially if the expensive products are the same low quality as the cheap stuff.

Re: Mall landlords struggling to find takers at a price they’ll accept

#173

Post by tyu100 »

NikolaeVarius wrote: post #166
user5994461 wrote: post #155

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't know what kind of stores you are used to but there is usually only one shoe on display. All the pairs are kept in the back of the store, you cannot try anything without help from the salesperson.

I'm not much of a shoe person, but I have literally never been to or heard of a place like this. Including places like Modells, Macy's, Payless, Sports Authority, etc etc etc

What are you talking about? If a store were to keep every size of each shoe for public display they would have space to show about four types of shoe. Every shoe store since the beginning of time keeps almost all stock in the back.

Re: Mall landlords struggling to find takers at a price they’ll accept

#174

Post by tekno45 »

mdorazio wrote: post #136
bcrescimanno wrote: post #130

Here's an anecdote about my experience at a mall yesterday. I needed some new shoes: I went to the Skechers store. There were 4 people working. Not a single one ever offered to help me. I had to walk up to the counter and the girl looked shocked when I asked her to get me my size to try on. She handed me the box and walked away. I never saw her again and walked out without making a purchase. I went over to Macy's to…

To play devil's advocate here... 1) Are you incapable of finding the right size shoes yourself? The boxes are usually laid out fairly logically and it's pretty rare for there to actually be anything of use "in the back". 2) Hiring people to provide the level of service you're asking for would significantly increase the cost of labor over the minimum wage kids that usually staff these stores. I'm fairly certain the co…

Most shoe stores i've been to are all show shoes out front and they grab your size from the back.

Re: Mall landlords struggling to find takers at a price they’ll accept

#175

Post by mdorazio »

user5994461 wrote: post #155
mdorazio wrote: post #136

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To play devil's advocate here... 1) Are you incapable of finding the right size shoes yourself? The boxes are usually laid out fairly logically and it's pretty rare for there to actually be anything of use "in the back". 2) Hiring people to provide the level of service you're asking for would significantly increase the cost of labor over the minimum wage kids that usually staff these stores. I'm fairly certain the co…

I don't know what kind of stores you are used to but there is usually only one shoe on display. All the pairs are kept in the back of the store, you cannot try anything without help from the salesperson.

Must be a location thing. I've never been to a store selling <$100 shoes (the kind the OP was shopping for) that didn't have all or most of its inventory on the shelves. For higher-end stores, yes the space is often devoted to display with inventory "in the back", but I was just at a mall Sketchers a few months ago and found my shoes myself with no problem. Same with my department store shoe sections.

Re: Mall landlords struggling to find takers at a price they’ll accept

#176

Post by learc83 »

Mithorium wrote: post #102
learc83 wrote: post #52

When I was a kid in the 90s, I remember malls being much more of a destination--they had big atriums with fountains and indoor trees. By the early 2000s, when I was in high school, they were much more utilitarian. This was way before online shopping was killing their profits. I'm assuming it had something to do with consolidation and the new owners trying to extract maximum short term profits.

I also distinctly remember enjoying going to the mall as a kid because of the fountains and glass ceiling atrium, lots of seating spaces, is that not a thing anymore?

None of the malls in the Atlanta area that I can think of have fountains or lots of seating anymore. Many of them do still have the glass ceilings.

Re: Mall landlords struggling to find takers at a price they’ll accept

#177

Post by csixty4 »

cesarb wrote: post #167
NikolaeVarius wrote: post #166

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not much of a shoe person, but I have literally never been to or heard of a place like this. Including places like Modells, Macy's, Payless, Sports Authority, etc etc etc

Perhaps it's a cultural difference? Every shoe store I've been to in my whole life is like the parent poster mentioned: there's one pair of each model on display behind glass, and the salesperson goes to the back to get the boxes in your size.

Definitely a cultural difference, and I'm intrigued about this approach. I used to work the shoe department at K-Mart and spent most of my time cleaning up after people who tried shoes on and just left them in the middle of the aisle, or trashed the boxes getting them open (how???), or tossed their old shoes in the box and walked out wearing a brand new pair.

Maybe not as consumer-friendly as what I'm used to, but it sounds heavenly from the employee standpoint.

Re: Mall landlords struggling to find takers at a price they’ll accept

#178

Post by pascalxus »

sigstoat wrote: post #151
pascalxus wrote: post #124

Malls, yuck! I find little attractive about them, and I'm not surprised no one's going any more. malls are dying because they're all based on materialist consumerism: something millennials want no part of. Here's my suggestion. Fill them with Libraries, Gyms, yoga centers, Cafes, Restaurants, movie theaters, science museums, bike repair shops, ceramic hobby shops and indoor swimming pools, theaters and historic museu…

> Here's my suggestion. Fill them with Libraries, Gyms, yoga centers, Cafes, Restaurants, movie theaters, science museums, bike repair shops, ceramic hobby shops and indoor swimming pools, theaters and historic museums. That would get me going back in a heartbeat! what's the point of getting you back if all the largest of those things make little to no money? malls aren't a contest to see who can get the most bodies…

not all of them need to make much money if they're run by the local gov or by a non-profit (libraries, parks, outdoor gym areas, museums), just enough to keep them going: like the way we have libraries and parks, etc.

Re: Mall landlords struggling to find takers at a price they’ll accept

#179

Post by bcrescimanno »

mdorazio wrote: post #175
user5994461 wrote: post #155

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't know what kind of stores you are used to but there is usually only one shoe on display. All the pairs are kept in the back of the store, you cannot try anything without help from the salesperson.

Must be a location thing. I've never been to a store selling <$100 shoes (the kind the OP was shopping for) that didn't have all or most of its inventory on the shelves. For higher-end stores, yes the space is often devoted to display with inventory "in the back", but I was just at a mall Sketchers a few months ago and found my shoes myself with no problem. Same with my department store shoe sections.

Replying here--yeah, the stores inside shopping malls typically lack the real estate to have all the shoes available in the main store and, instead, keep them in a stock room in the back. I've definitely been to both types; but, the mall stores are almost always the "pick a display shoe and have a salesperson bring your size."

Re: Mall landlords struggling to find takers at a price they’ll accept

#180

Post by bcrescimanno »

RankingMember wrote: post #148
bcrescimanno wrote: post #130

Here's an anecdote about my experience at a mall yesterday. I needed some new shoes: I went to the Skechers store. There were 4 people working. Not a single one ever offered to help me. I had to walk up to the counter and the girl looked shocked when I asked her to get me my size to try on. She handed me the box and walked away. I never saw her again and walked out without making a purchase. I went over to Macy's to…

Just to provide a counter-point from someone with different tastes, I actually prefer to be left alone when I go to a shop. I'd rather ask for help than have someone hovering trying to be helpful.

In almost all cases, I completely agree with you!

In shops that require interaction to proceed beyond browsing (such as the shoe shops I visited yesterday) I want a salesperson to be attentive and help me so I can spend as little time as possible standing around waiting.

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