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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

#181

Post by bcrescimanno »

bluedino wrote: post #152
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…

Go to DSW, all the shoes are out on the floor to try on. I won't go to Macy's (because they're overpriced) but I refuse to sit around while someone fetches me shoes from the back room.

Yeah, we happened to be near the mall yesterday for an unrelated reason so I decided to give it a shot. DSW is always a good option; but, I often find myself frustrated with my size being fairly common (translation: often sold out).

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

#182

Post by anothergoogler »

notadoc wrote: post #142
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…

Now try walking into an Apple store and buying a new Mac or iPhone in a reasonable amount of time. Good luck!

Unreal! A couple years ago I went into an Apple store prepared to buy an iMac. I'd done my research, knew which model, knocked it around a little in the store, had no reservations about making the purchase. At that point I walked and stood around the store like an idiot for about 20 minutes, asking if I could buy a computer. After being passed around like a cold, moldy potato between Apple employees dealing with other customers who had not yet reached buying decisions, I left, disgusted. Ended up going to Best Buy instead, saved a few bucks.

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

#183

Post by enobrev »

rtkwe wrote: post #163
enobrev wrote: post #153

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's very rare that I shop for shoes in person any more, but the few times I've found myself in a shoe store in the past few years, I'll generally just ask a rep to bring me or point out everything they have in a size 14, which usually ends up being 2-3 pairs. The best places will understand immediately - some will even know off-hand which ones they have in larger sizes. Most of the time, the rep will respond with an…

Wonder if their initial reticence might come partially from shitty software making it hard to find all available shoes of a given size across all styles?

I used to assume it was just due to a poorly organized back room, or possibly laziness. But it's seemed more that they're not understanding the question as asked.

How often does someone walk into their store and ask them to bring all of a single size to the front? Once they go to the back room to try to find boxes with the number 14 on them, they generally realize the issue.

I've tried going with the longer explanation, but the dance goes on regardless, and my version is the most abridged, thus far.

Instead I'll generally order a few pairs online and then send most back. It's inefficient and wasteful, but Zappos offers next day shipping free for members and an excellent return policy, which is hard to pass up.

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

#184

Post by master_ant »

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?

Portland's Clackamas Town Center used to have a beautiful skating rink, large fountains next to escalators, and foliage. This has mostly been replaced with a seating area, a larger food court, and more shops. It's considerably less appealing to just _be_ in, at least for me. I miss stuff like that.

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

#185

Post by kthejoker2 »

gist wrote: post #162
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…

> Stores in a mall have a real opportunity to win on personal service and instant gratification. Hire someone to help me find shoes You say that as if it's possible in the same way as advice such as 'find a good lawyer' 1) Assumes that if you are helpful customers won't suck up an extraordinary amount of time and that it will pay off in the end (might not) 2) Assumes paying for a better person will result in more sal…

> Remember rent in malls is very high.

Uhh ... Did you forget what article you're commenting on?

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

#186

Post by rtkwe »

enobrev wrote: post #183
rtkwe wrote: post #163

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Wonder if their initial reticence might come partially from shitty software making it hard to find all available shoes of a given size across all styles?

I used to assume it was just due to a poorly organized back room, or possibly laziness. But it's seemed more that they're not understanding the question as asked. How often does someone walk into their store and ask them to bring all of a single size to the front? Once they go to the back room to try to find boxes with the number 14 on them, they generally realize the issue. I've tried going with the longer explanati…

Yeah I'd bet they also think "You know how many styles of shoes we have?!" when you first ask then realize how limited the options are once they actually go back.

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

#187

Post by Uberphallus »

tyu100 wrote: post #173
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

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.

In most of Europe, at least in the part of it where I've lived, you have both types of stores. If the store has a separate back, you only 1-2 sizes of each model on display. If the store doesn't or it's too small, you have 1-2 sizes on display next to a more or less organized pile of shoe boxes.

I think the main reason for either is whether the store is built one way or another.

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

#188

Post by DrScump »

excalibur wrote: post #58
projectramo wrote: post #2

I remember learning that in the 90s some companies had this useless asset: gas pipelines that spanned the country, but had dried up and were not being used. Other companies had a problem: how to acquire the rights to lay fiber from one end of the country to the other. Some very smart person realized you could lay the fiber in the old pipes. Question: what can be done with all that retail space? Is there a new use of…

Adults-only entertainment venue. Fill it with bars, bowling alleys, hookah lounges, marijuana dispensaries (where legal), dance clubs, adult bookstores, places that rent rooms by the hour, other places where you can sleep it off more cheaply with maybe less privacy. Car keys deposited at the door into a machine that won't release them until you pass a breathalyzer.

In downtown San Jose, there was a hookah lounge and a large billiards space on the same block. Both failed.

In contrast, the failed Borders across from AT&T Park became a bowling space.

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

#189

Post by DrScump »

jandrese wrote: post #123
excalibur wrote: post #108

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I think that probably works better in theory than practice. Probably, but it's fun to think about. > In the real world it's going to be sleazy and run down in a few short years. Sleazy is desirable to a point, but it's easy to go too far in that direction. And getting run down is a definite concern. It's entirely possible that the economics required to keep the place safe and hygienic would price out a lot of custo…

No matter how progressive an area is the city council is full of crotchety old people.

In Bay Area cities, most of the "crotchety old people" are "progressives". The non-"progressive" seniors bailed for other states.

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

#190

Post by orbitingpluto »

orbitingpluto wrote: post #147
projectramo wrote: post #2

I remember learning that in the 90s some companies had this useless asset: gas pipelines that spanned the country, but had dried up and were not being used. Other companies had a problem: how to acquire the rights to lay fiber from one end of the country to the other. Some very smart person realized you could lay the fiber in the old pipes. Question: what can be done with all that retail space? Is there a new use of…

The executive branch of the government has found a use: concentration camps for children

Downvoted because I didn't provide a source?

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/senator-jeff-merkley-barred-bro...

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