[dogloverinFL]

Originally Posted by Arcenal352

Precisely.
And even with clothes, often times I like to see the items in front of me so that I can see how they actually fit versus blindly guess and having to return things over and over until I get the right fit. I'll buy shoes, sunglasses, etc., online, but pants? Nope. Dress shirts? Nope. Food? I have, and prefer not to. People shop differently. My definition of a "ripe" banana might not be the same as someone else's.

judging by the size of the online delivery departments at grocery stores (Safeway in DC, Publix in FL) these days, the amount of people who care about their banana color is dwindling

[Arcenal813]

Originally Posted by dogloverinFL

judging by the size of the online delivery departments at grocery stores (Safeway in DC, Publix in FL) these days, the amount of people who care about their banana color is dwindling

I'm aware. It's just a personal preference of mine.

[boy3365]

Originally Posted by beachmouse

Even with franchises, there are usually good outposts and bad ones. I remember in the 90s, the Ft. Walton Beach Red Lobster was bizarrely good despite the chain's reputation as a whole, and it was the place locals went to get away from tourists and get fish that was actually good and well-prepared. (And then they had a management change or something and it returned to the mean of the chain) And the Destin Zoe's Kitchen is the best one in the entire chain of the ones we've tried.

On the flip side, I've tried three different Zaxby's in the panhandle and they've been uniformly awful compared to the ones elsewhere.

I understand that there will be bad apples. For example, I drive past the Pollo Tropical near me to visit another location because the one near me is always out of product.

But for someone to say that several chains that are not related to each other (ex. TGI Fridays, Olive Garden, and Outback) are inferior here compared to where they are from has to be more about them being homesick and not enjoying where they are than reality.

[boy3365]

Originally Posted by dogloverinFL

jcpenney is in a death spiral, just like sears and macys

eventually, everything will move online automatically
the more people go to the store and do not find what they are looking for, the more they will order online

it's happening more and more, and the same thing will happen with grocery stores

This came across my Google App feed. (Is that creepy or useful?)

"Don't Blame the Retail Apocalypse on Online Shopping Just Yet"
https://www.racked.com/2018/6/19/174...ick-and-mortar

The reality is that retail is overstored.

From 1970 to 2015, the number of US malls grew twice as quickly as the American population, the Atlantic reported last year, citing research from Cowen and Company.

“The US has 40 percent more shopping space per capita than Canada, five times more than the UK, and 10 times more than Germany,” it found.

79% of people are going to physical stores. Online sales only account for 10% of retail. It's like 1-2% for grocery.

Like I mentioned before, initially online-only stores are either partnering with stores like Target, or they are opening physical stores themselves. Physical shopping isn't dead. It's changing.

Given that discount stores are thriving (Aldi, TJ Max, Ross, Walmart, Marshall's) and high end stores and malls are doing well (or maybe just doing well enough), this so called apocalypse is more an issue of a decrease in the discretionary income of the middle class than anything else.

[djsuperfly]

Originally Posted by dogloverinFL

judging by the size of the online delivery departments at grocery stores (Safeway in DC, Publix in FL) these days, the amount of people who care about their banana color is dwindling

Judging by the number of people constantly in my local Publix, the number of people who still care about their banana color is still pretty darn high.

[gypsychic]

Originally Posted by dogloverinFL

jcpenney is in a death spiral, just like sears and macys

eventually, everything will move online automatically
the more people go to the store and do not find what they are looking for, the more they will order online
this causes stores to go un-stocked
that's because, as was explained to me by a manager at Neiman Marcus, everyone is buying everything online, so the stores are not being stocked very well anymore
if Neiman Marcus doesn't sell that lipstick in the store, it will be clearanced out and wont be re-ordered
or the lipstick stock will be sent to a distribution center where online orders are taken care of

so when a lady goes to the store to buy that lipstick, they wont have it, and they will be sending her to buy it online
and the next time the lady thinks to herself, "i want to buy lipstick at Neiman Marcus," she will remember the bad store experience and order online instead

under-stocked stores are becoming routine and a self-perpetuating cycle

how many times have you gone to Target, Walmart, Safeway, Office Depot, and not found what you are looking for?

it's happening more and more, and the same thing will happen with grocery stores

JC Penney was well-stocked and my husband was pleased. Target has whatever I have gone there to buy. Not buying your argument, sorry.

[boy3365]

Originally Posted by boy3365

This came across my Google App feed. (Is that creepy or useful?)

"Don't Blame the Retail Apocalypse on Online Shopping Just Yet"
https://www.racked.com/2018/6/19/174...ick-and-mortar

The reality is that retail is overstored.



79% of people are going to physical stores. Online sales only account for 10% of retail. It's like 1-2% for grocery.

Like I mentioned before, initially online-only stores are either partnering with stores like Target, or they are opening physical stores themselves. Physical shopping isn't dead. It's changing.

Given that discount stores are thriving (Aldi, TJ Max, Ross, Walmart, Marshall's) and high end stores and malls are doing well (or maybe just doing well enough), this so called apocalypse is more an issue of a decrease in the discretionary income of the middle class than anything else.

I hate to brag, but check this out. This article, which was published today (6/26/2018), basically presented the evidence for everything I said on 6/20/2018.

American middle class disappears and department stores suffer - Business Insider

"The middle is disappearing — low and middle-income customers increasingly shop at discounters and dollar stores, forcing retailers that once served these customers, like Bon-Ton and its subsidiary brands, to close shop," analysts from intelligence firm Gartner L2 wrote in a recent report on department stores.

For this reason, high-end retailers and discount retailers have become some of the biggest bright spots in the sector, while companies that rely more on middle-class spending, such as department stores Bon-Ton, Macy's, Sears, and JCPenney, have had to close hundreds of stores.

Retail store closures are A LOT more than about "the internet."

[kyle19125]

Originally Posted by boy3365

Given that discount stores are thriving (Aldi, TJ Max, Ross, Walmart, Marshall's) and high end stores and malls are doing well (or maybe just doing well enough), this so called apocalypse is more an issue of a decrease in the discretionary income of the middle class than anything else.

Bingo! I agree the online sector is way overstated as well and a lazy excuse versus the reality that nearly half of Americans are unable to handle an unplanned $400 expense or the fact that online sales only account for at most 15% of the retail pie.

40% of Americans can't cover a $400 emergency expense

[sinatras]

Originally Posted by boy3365

I hate to brag, but check this out. This article, which was published today (6/26/2018), basically presented the evidence for everything I said on 6/20/2018.

American middle class disappears and department stores suffer - Business Insider




Retail store closures are A LOT more than about "the internet."

It doesn't really matter what's causing retail contraction. The fact is that retail is contracting. And the more it contracts, the more people will turn to e-commerce. Now that Toys R Us is gone, a lot more toys will be bought online. When more department stores close, a lot more apparel and appliances will be bought online.
I remember when I used to be able to go to a department store and have the pick of luggage options.
I recently replaced all of my Travelpro luggage and I had to buy it all online. It was a tedious trial/error process, of buying, sending back, buying, sending back. I would have loved to have avoided this. But none of the stores near me are stocking large assortments of luggage anymore. I went to 3 stores and the selection was awful. They are only stocking, say, one range of Travelpro, instead of all 10 ranges.

The question is, whether next time I need luggage, will I bother to go to a physical store? likely not.

[boy3365]

[quote=sinatras;52321556]It doesn't really matter what's causing retail contraction. The fact is that retail is contracting. And the more it contracts, the more people will turn to e-commerce.

Originally Posted by sinatras

Now that Toys R Us is gone, a lot more toys will be bought online.

Or Walmart and Target.....

Personally, when I bought toy gifts for child relatives when they were younger , I didn't even think about Toys R Us. It was Target or Walmart.

Party City is looking at opening pop up toy stores alongside their pop up Halloween stores.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money...ity/730534002/

A handful of Central Florida Toys R Us locations have been leased to other stores already.
Ashley Furniture wins bid for closing Toys R Us space in Orlando - Orlando Sentinel

Ashley was among a handful of retailers that bid on and won the right to buy leases from bankrupt and closing toy store chain Toys R Us, according to court documents. Ashley will pay $73,339.63 to assume the lease.

Ollie’s Bargain Outlet and Big Lots won leases on other stores across the United States after Toys R Us filed for bankruptcy in March. Landlords also bought back the leases on several stores.

The former CEO of Toys R Us is already working on a reboot. Good luck with that though. I remember hearing that Circuit City was going to make a comeback, which hasn't happened yet.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...ailer-s-reboot

Brick and mortar is not dead.

Originally Posted by sinatras

I remember when I used to be able to go to a department store and have the pick of luggage options.
I recently replaced all of my Travelpro luggage and I had to buy it all online. It was a tedious trial/error process, of buying, sending back, buying, sending back. I would have loved to have avoided this. But none of the stores near me are stocking large assortments of luggage anymore. I went to 3 stores and the selection was awful. They are only stocking, say, one range of Travelpro, instead of all 10 ranges.

The question is, whether next time I need luggage, will I bother to go to a physical store? likely not.

It's a different world with luggage shopping here in Orlando.