JC Penney says goodbye (almost) to Eastern Oregon

[Silverfall]

Originally Posted by Cloudy Dayz

It's not undergoing changes. It's dying. Department stores and shopping malls are deader than a door knob. It's a business model, that doesn't work anymore. Supermarkets are OK for now, but will probably also be killed off by the internet at some point. It's just a matter of time before some website decides to take the supermarkets on. As for big box stores, I don't know any except for Walmart that are doing well. And even the Walmart empire is starting to show signs of crumbling. Their profits are flat, for probably the first time ever.

I don't think supermarkets will die off because most people can't afford to have fresh food delivered, but I do think supermarkets integrated with apps so you can order your groceries and just pick it up will be the next evolution.

[Cloudy Dayz]

Originally Posted by Silverfall

I don't think supermarkets will die off because most people can't afford to have fresh food delivered, but I do think supermarkets integrated with apps so you can order your groceries and just pick it up will be the next evolution.

People have everything else delivered. Why not food? It's no more expensive to get food delivered than any other items. Supermarkets are the worst place to buy fresh food. Do you know how long it takes to have that "fresh" food delivered to a warehouse, then put on trucks and delivered to your local supermarket, then have it sit in a storeroom until an employee has time to stock it on the shelves, then have it sit there until you come along and buy it? Each of those steps could easily take a week our more. That is not fresh food. The entire process can be streamlined by shipping it directly from the warehouse to your home.

The biggest issue with food delivery right now is that the order and delivery process can take days. If the delivery service is upgraded, so it only takes 24 hours, or less, and it can be done in refrigerated trucks, supermarkets can go bye bye. There is really no reason that shouldn't be possible.

I believe the ultimate plan, the tech companies are working on is to have consumers, order all of their groceries and other items with the touch of a button, and 30 minutes later a drone would drop the items on their doorstep. It's not going to happen overnight, but the day is coming.

[pnwguy2]

Originally Posted by texasdiver

Well, either way, the point is that Penny's is not dying because it is a brick and mortar store. It is dying because it has a crummy business model. There are plenty of brick and mortar businesses that appear to be thriving and popular in the Northwest. If Pendleton and LaGrande don't have Fred Meyer they at least have WalMart which isn't as good for clothes and doesn't have as nice of a grocery but otherwise mostly duplicates Fred Meyer.

No, I agree with you, and my post was just informational. In Pendleton there really are only two major grocery stores today, Wal-Mart, and Safeway. There is also a "Cash & Carry", but I'm not sure what they offer. Many Pendleton/Hermiston shoppers drive up to the Tri-Cities, WA for their shopping, perhaps more for non-grocery items. (Columbia Center Mall (Kennewick) parking lots are usually about 30-40% Oregon plates on the weekend!)

[pdxMIKEpdx]

Kind of interesting since JC Pennney began in Kemmerer, Wyoming.

They must have forgotten their roots.

[Cloudy Dayz]

Originally Posted by pdxMIKEpdx

Kind of interesting since JC Pennney began in Kemmerer, Wyoming.

They must have forgotten their roots.

Hey, they still have that store. It's a beautiful store too. When they close down I hope they make it a museum.

[pdxMIKEpdx]

If you have ever been to Kemmerer, you would wonder why in the world?

It's pronounced "Kemmer" BTW.

[pnwguy2]

Oil, oil, and more oil. Agreed it is a blip on the map today.

Penney's quickly built up in the Rocky Mountain States, and eventually was big in Salt Lake City. Like many chains, it expanded with success to all 50 States. Another major retailer going down in flames, or so it seems.