@Anonymous wrote:Well it's very difficult to compete with other Business models that don't have to pay overhead on several stores in multiple Cities. Only having to worry about strategically placed warehouses to store merchandise, bare minimum employees that strictly pack and ship etc. Cust back on a lot of costs.
Then you have the issues of, IMO, having way too many places to shop for said clothes. Lets say if Gap or Old Navy didn't exist, more people might shop JC Penny instead. Clothes for some people last a while, so most aren't exactly needing to rush out an buy new every week or month like we do for food. Same with cars and few other items. Which is probably a good thing the Earth is over populated, otherwise I suspect that they wouldn't have lasted this long.
For a time some retailer were doing so well they decided to branch out, now mnay of those locations are closed or clossong soon.
The more people who move to online only shopping are sealing the fates of physical stores, as I'm sure the people who still like to "try them on for size" before they leave are a dying breed.
It's certainly an interesting thought of what the future might look like without mall/retail stores to walk into after getting lunch etc.
Heck maybe even one day we won't need restaraunts, we'll just push a button and it materializes.
If you don't count the 20-30 min delay, that already happens.
I normally do takeout but I recently changed in having my meal service delivered instead of driving to the other side of downtown and picking it up. Admittedly my time has real value now I have all the billable hours I could possibly want and then some up to like 120 / week and I can't work that hard anymore without going insane though COVID isn't helping as I don't have my normal getaway escapes.
Personally it's been years since I went to a physical store. I think the last time was for clothes for an unexpected bank interview where I needed a sport coat on very short notice... usually I am fine second hand and then just taking it to a tailor but occasionally you can be behind the current style 8 ball on that one with jackets and sometimes that matters (vintage lapels for example being a no fly zone in some cases like when you don't know who is on the other side of the table going into it).
@Anonymous wrote:Let them die already.
After I got a few orders from Talbots online, I knew what to expect for sizing and haven't had to do returns in ages. It's better than actually going to the store in Boston and finding a limited selection of colors.
I'm calling it now...Bed Bath and Beyond is going Chapter 11 soon. I've seen 2 stores in 2 states with the same messy look to them. Both in upscale zipcodes.
I think Bed Bath and Beyond was sort of on the ropes anyway before this; their products were absurdly expensive and with the rise of cheaper solutions which frankly had everything but the brand names it was bound to be problematic eventually.
See grocery vis a vis Aldi vs the more established players, or Walmart or the dollar stores continuing to gain market share even during the go go economy before COVID.
I think the middle market ones like BB&B or JCP & similar will get wiped out, high end and discount will continue to have an offline presence and won't be much in the middle anymore as that'll be mostly online.
Meanwhile back to doing what I should be doing and slinging documentation with both hands.
Maybe it's from living in flyover suburbia, but I'm pretty sad to (probably) see all these retailers go down. There's definitely other options out there but I really do enjoy browsing places that aren't overpriced boutiques or lines of code on a screen.
Not that I'm surprised by any of it though.
Not that I'm surprised by any of it though.
