Community Chat

[CherryHugs]

I hate this too.  I dont order clothing on shopping channels or online at all.   I Cannot imagine having to do this and all of the returns that would need to be done!!!!!

I enjoy shopping in a real store. So many have closed and it is sad.

[Spurt]

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@Twins Mom wrote:
@ Spurt

Crowds here are at selected shopping centers. Management at these centers grouped retailers at selected spots - grouping High Demand stores together. Other centers were left with less popular stores. (Owners Same at these malls). Parking and access at winning centers are a nightmare. Go figure! Looking at deserted centers is heartbreaking.

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@Twins Mom

Its getting the right mix of stores in shopping centers/malls to draw customers in seems to be the key to success.....knowing what shoppers want and are buying!!!  Merchandise people want to try on or see in person makes people want to go to B&M stores....

While most malls in my town are bringing in plenty of shoppers another small mall is barely surviving--it has a couple of department type discount stores which I never heard of, a Hobby Lobby (which does have customers), and most of it is now offices, and a small flea market, and movie theater.   The store mix was and is pretty lousy.....the atmosphere just seems a bit creepy....

[Spurt]

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@TY wrote:

I seldom buy online now and I think my recent experience is one of the reasons why: I tried to order a blouse from a Canadian department store's (Hudson's Bay) website on Boxing Day (Dec. 26) but the website was overloaded due to all the online shoppers. This particular department store chain never is prepared for extra traffic on Black Friday or cyber Monday either. Well my order never went through. So I emailed a complaint and got an email back with a copy and paste form answer apology the next day. So I tried the day after and decided to have the blouse sent to a store for me to pick up in store to save the shipping. The order went through and an hour later I got an email that the order was cancelled. No reason stated.

So the next day I decided to go to a different bricks and mortar Hudson's Bay department store and buy the blouse if they had it which they did. I ended up paying a couple of dollars more than if I had shipped it to my home but I wasn't going to make 2 trips to this store again. Then later on in the evening I got a form email thanking me for the order that the store had cancelled. Huh? The left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing!

Hudson's Bay is a department store chain that retail news sites speculate may eventually go bankrupt. It's not hard to see why from my point of view. Their bricks and mortar stores are dirty, their website is lame, their BOPIS or buy online, pick up in store doesn't work.

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@TY

And the Execs shake their heads and wonder why they are doing poorly.......so clueless

[Spurt]

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@Cakers3 wrote:

I hope Barnes and Noble stays.  I love browsing books and I don't do Kindle or any other type of ebook.

It's not the same; I like looking over different titles and I like actually holding a book and turning the pages.

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@Cakers3

Me too, I still prefer hardcover and paperback books....

[ValuSkr]

I'm not regretting the demise of malls as I never liked them in the first place.  A nearby failed mall is being replaced by the open "Main Street" concept that's gaining in popularity.  It has a mix of retail, restaurant, entertainment, and living (apartments and condos).  And you can park close to the store you want to visit, rather than park and walk 1/2 mile.

I suupose this concept will fall out of favor in 30 years or so and be replaced by what?  Maybe malls will return...

[miata1]

I for one love going to the mall even just to walk and look around.  There are times that I do not buy anything.  I would miss the mall very much.  I do order from QVC too but I really enjoy shopping at the mall, it has become a hobby for me, at least that is what my husband says all the time. I do have to try things on as my figure is small on top and bigger on the bottom so I usually have to try everything on. 

[Peaches McPhee]

I wonder what I will do in 20 years.  I LIKE to go shopping.  (I do shop on line, too.)

[songbird]

The big mall near me has not chaged much.  Small stores such as Clare's (they would sell cheap trinkets like key chains, etc) is gone, but we have Amazon stores,  One of the few Sears stores is stil open, along with J.C. Penny (a store also in trouble) Have no idea if they are staying though.  If anythng the mall is expanding.  The store anchors are Nordstrom, Lord & Taylor  and Bloomingdales.  We also are going to have a Burberry.  We just heard of that.  It was just announced, but very excited over that. they added an open air mall right next to it.  Oh and the trendy Shake Shack.

[JONNYSBRO]

Costco will never go anywhere. Omg its packed all the time

[Blahblahvampemer]

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@ValuSkr wrote:

I'm not regretting the demise of malls as I never liked them in the first place.  A nearby failed mall is being replaced by the open "Main Street" concept that's gaining in popularity.  It has a mix of retail, restaurant, entertainment, and living (apartments and condos).  And you can park close to the store you want to visit, rather than park and walk 1/2 mile.

I suupose this concept will fall out of favor in 30 years or so and be replaced by what?  Maybe malls will return...

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You seem to be overlooking the jobs tied to most malls, and not all of them are visible.  Suppliers to truckers to security and so on.  If we eliminate much of the retail sector, you wipe out a lot of first jobs and opportunities to move up. One store I know of promotes from within, no degree required, and department heads make $80,000 plus stock options.