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I walk by a Staples store near Bryant park and can't figure out how they make any money? It's always empty and everything they sell you can get cheaper through Amazon. Because of the prime location the rent must be astronomical. The only type of people who go there are luddites who ask a thousand questions about how to print out something for 10 cents.
I’m sure before the pandemic it was quite busy in that location. Plenty of people would rather stop by and get what they wanted rather than waiting for a package in the mail that might be stolen anyway. Businesses might just appreciate the proximity and chance to get their stuff same-day. And any unusual or custom order, it’s better to place order face to face.
Photocopies, printing, etc. (meaning services.) I had to print out documents for a remote real estate closing. This was too much for my little home inkjet multifunction. So I went to the nearby Staples. I was lucky to be able to get a machine right away. After I got going they were all taken.
My GF also uses them for printing for her job. I think the merchandise is almost besides the point.
I walk by a Staples store near Bryant park and can't figure out how they make any money? It's always empty and everything they sell you can get cheaper through Amazon. Because of the prime location the rent must be astronomical. The only type of people who go there are luddites who ask a thousand questions about how to print out something for 10 cents.
Staples has their fingers in many pies, not just physical location sales.
They do a pretty decent online business where you can choose either curbside, in store or other delivery methods. Then there are the various services offered such as copying and so forth. Staples also offers bulk office supplies for companies and small businesses.
Keep in mind that area has seen growth in residential which includes home offices, school supplies, etc...
Amazon isn't always the cheapest, and sometimes you need something *now* and can't wait for even next day delivery.
Trust me, if that Bryant Park Staples didn't hit their sales per square foot numbers it would have closed by now.
Staples can keep open a location that loses money if they think it is worth it to represent their name in a certain area and keep competitors out. They can also sell select items like a desk that are not in the store to you with no shipping charge if you pick it up in the store. Then they just move it by truck form one store to another. If you have a store close to you you might be willing to pick it up instead of another online where you have to pays shipping.
Still with all of this they may still close some stores.
Same thing with Starbucks. They can have some stores losing money just to keep competition out of an area.
However if too much of this is done it backfires
i'm pretty sure staples make the majority of their money catering to businesses needs(contracts). A marquee midtown location they can afford to keep as just image, prestige and pr.
Amazon isn't always the cheapest, and sometimes you need something *now* and can't wait for even next day delivery.
No business can survive on people "sometimes" needing something *now*..
Their rent must be at least $30,000 a month. With overhead of employees and other stuff it probably costs them $50k/month to operate. That's a A LOT of 10 cent printouts just to break even..
I was standing on line at Staples to ship something and people needed to fax stuff, it cost over $20 to fax a few pieces of paper they emailed to Staples when they can easily download an app on their expensive iPhone and directly send the fax for only a few bucks.
We live in a day when we have the tech to do most of the stuff on the smartphone and people are using it as a dumb phone.
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