Re: Death of the Department Store

FiddleDeeDee · ‎03-06-2020

There was a time when department stores were well run and people could support their families/themselves very nicely on what they made.

Enter wage stagnation, corporate greed and the Internet.

Online shopping doesn't mean the company itself will close, but it may mean the store we once shopped in will. When ordering online from any of the stores this article mentioned, the items come from either their warehouse OR from one of their stores. If the company keeps a well-stocked inventory in their warehouse, their sales will be fine; if not, poor sales. Let's be real: the department store experience went down the toilet YEARS ago. We've all read the stories on this forum about the lack of help, the lack of choices, how dirty the stores are, etc; management is nowhere to be found. Trust me when I say that those in charge at the very top will walk away with money in hand; it will be those worker bees that will see little to nothing.

Lord & Taylor has been going down for some time now. The few left in my state have been turned into bargain basement bins with 1-2 employees on each floor to ring sales. The only exception to this is mens suits and womens' shoes. At Christmas, I spoke at length with the lady who sells fine jewelry at my store; been buying from her for 24 years. Before L&T, she was a wonderful high end department store that went under; my mom would buy her jewelry from her. She was telling me about L&T losing money every day they were open. How employees hours were cut. How commissions were being cut so employees decided to quit. How after Christmas, our store would be shutting down (and it would have as everything was ON CLEARANCE BARGAIN PRICE ON EVERYTHING said the windows and then COVID19 hit). The article is simply telling what many knew about L&T.

Neimans lost many of their high end vendors (Hermes and Chanel for a start). Nordstrom carries just about EVERY high end line of cosmetic that NM carries so, why not shop at Nordstrom where there is less attitude? I LOVE NM but I always shop from the same person; that "attitude" is there and very obvious. Their return policy is horrible. NM has been in trouble before; obviously they didn't learn anything from it.

Nordstrom has been discussed as well; it's not what it once was. I don't shop there as there is NOTHING special about it in any way.

Bottom line, those who have done a great job with their online presence will weather the storm. As for missing the actual stores/malls; I enjoy going to the ones near me. I will miss them. Seeing things in person is still important (especially for makeup, trying on clothes/shoes, etc). If we do nothing but sit in our homes for everything for evermore....what a horrible way to live (what we're doing now is an example of it). Sorry, I don't want that.

"Coming to ya from Florida"

kivah · ‎03-11-2010

@kaydee50 wrote:
DH and I loved shopping malls. When we lived in NJ, on some Saturday nights we would go "a-malling" to Paramus Park or Garden State Plaza. Of course, that was 20+ years ago. I miss them. We have North Bridge mall here in downtown Chicago but it is seldom crowded. Life goes on.

I guess in the not distant future we'll be ordering everything online. Maybe I'll have to get a smartphone--Ugh!!

I've never used a cellphone!!!!!!!!!

Kachina624 · ‎03-10-2010

Dillard's has always been my favorite store; I used to buy all my work wardrobe there. I had a closet full of their Kasper suits. Never shopped Macy's at all. You might check Dillard's for the gifts you need.

@homedecor1

New Mexico☀️Land Of Enchantment

homedecor1 · ‎03-09-2010

@Kachina624

Thank you! Until I moved here I never heard of Dillard's. I hardly buy clothes now although I bought my dress for my nieces wedding at Dillard's.

My friends shop there often. When I worked uniforms and most my casual & dress clothes I bought at Lord & Taylor.

kivah · ‎03-11-2010

@proudlyfromNJ wrote:
@kivah wrote:
@Kachina624 wrote:
Things are changing so rapidly, it's hard to comprehend. Malls gone? Impossible. The only shopping option in my area is Dillard's and I wonder how long they'll last.

All these changes in our lives and none are for the better. Doesn't anything good happen anymore?
Since I'm OLD - I grew up in NYC when life was SIMPLE!!!!!! Today, it's one catastrophe after another. We have way too much news. Politicians insulting/lying about the opposing Party --- the media lying and twisting things to make people look bad. Everyone has become selfish and insensitive to others. America has gone DownHill. I went to the malls in southern California for many years - with my mother - who is now gone. Lots of great memories. I even remember when most people had money to spend even when they didn't earn a lot of money. Today - most people are one paycheck away from homelessness. No more middle class -- just rich and poor.
@kivah Middle class makes up the majority of my town and most of the towns I am familiar with. As for media and politicians, none have any politeness or class the way they used to. Sometimes it is quite the embarrassment.
People must move along with the times or we would be traveling on a horse. No vaccinations.
The way people have always survived is to move with the times.
You're one lucky lady. In my area, most people live paycheck to paycheck and many live on governement assistance. There are also many upper-class and middle-class families. I've been very successful for an older, single female - and I did it "my way." The government is responsible for out-sourcing most good jobs - and over-taxing us. They're to blame --- they love CONTROL.

beach-mom · ‎03-09-2010

I grew up with family-run department stores. There was such a difference in the way they were run. Now most are closed or have been swallowed by Macy's. Who knows who owns them, but I don't think many, if any, are associated with the families who founded them.

I believe that, and the Internet, contributed greatly to their downfall. The service was gone, the care was gone, the customer service was gone.

I was so reluctant to order online, and now that's all I do. Before this, customer service was great. Today someone I know held on for 3-1/2 hours for Nordstrom's customer service line. She finally called the local store and got someone, who transferred her right back to the main line. So she hung up.

The Kohl's near us is doing curbside pickup. I like Kohl's so I hope it's enough to keep it going.

jellyBEAN · ‎04-03-2010

This is sad. Living in NJ was mall heaven. Such a pleasant way to spend an afternoon, walking thru an air conditioned mall on the days when it was just too hot to do anything outside. Looking at all the displays in the windows, browsing, buying, having lunch w/friends or family. A great place to meet up. I miss those days.

And even before malls became all the rage, all the towns had department stores - Bamberger's (became Macy's), Tepper's, Steinbach's, Abraham & Strauss, Hanes, oh I could go on and on. I can even remember when the department store elevators had men in uniforms to take you from floor to floor.

I wind up returning so much now when I order on-line. I never used to return anything when I purchased in an actual store. Such a difference between seeing a small pic of something on a professional model and then seeing it come out of a little box or bag in the mail. Convenient, yes, but the thrill is gone. I'm glad I'm older. I feel the earth isn't gonna get any better and the sooner I get off this spinning rock the better.

Flowers are nature's way of laughing

homedecor1 · ‎03-09-2010

We have a department store here called Bealls. Totally overpriced, coupons which are never good on things I may want (lots of restrictions) and I noticed store inventory getting less prior to this pandemic.

Interestingly, almost every store has sent me email incentives, free shipping, etc. to purchase from them since the stores closed to shop online.

Not Bealls I'm thinking this is the next store in our area to closedown. Plus, their salespeople are never helpful or friendly -- then again, the Manager of this particular store in my area is downright rude...

Xivambala · ‎07-26-2019

This is so true and unfortunate. I think we are powerless to stop it. I was never terribly fond of malls, but they served their purpose in their heyday. Before the days of personal computers, the internet and television shopping, we went to malls and department stores to shop and browse. Now there are other options available. To this day, Marshall Field's department stores was/is the grandest there ever was. While they had many branches in Chicago and the surrounding suburbs, the flagship store on State Street, the 'Great Street', was magnificent! I'm in my 60's now. My mother started taking me there when I was a small child. When I was old enough to travel downtown myself, I would go their shopping at least once a week. I could spend hours in that store. I loved it! When Macy's took over and changed the name in 2006 it was a true death and caused a lot of resentment.

I'm no longer in Chicago or Illinois, and I will not shop at Macy's I do much, but not all, shopping on line because I can't find a decent selection of items in stores anymore. Nothing beats seeing the real thing in person. I want to touch and feel items before I buy. Also, how about being able to jump in the car and getting things now. I expect some day the skies will be filled with drones delivering our purchases. That should be fun.

SoX · ‎03-15-2010

@Xivambala wrote:
This is so true and unfortunate. I think we are powerless to stop it. I was never terribly fond of malls, but they served their purpose in their heyday. Before the days of personal computers, the internet and television shopping, we went to malls and department stores to shop and browse. Now there are other options available. To this day, Marshall Field's department stores was/is the grandest there ever was. While they had many branches in Chicago and the surrounding suburbs, the flagship store on State Street, the 'Great Street', was magnificent! I'm in my 60's now. My mother started taking me there when I was a small child. When I was old enough to travel downtown myself, I would go their shopping at least once a week. I could spend hours in that store. I loved it! When Macy's took over and changed the name in 2006 it was a true death and caused a lot of resentment.

I'm no longer in Chicago or Illinois, and I will not shop at Macy's I do much, but not all, shopping on line because I can't find a decent selection of items in stores anymore. Nothing beats seeing the real thing in person. I want to touch and feel items before I buy. Also, how about being able to jump in the car and getting things now. I expect some day the skies will be filled with drones delivering our purchases. That should be fun.

@Xivambala

There are a lot of us here who still feel as you do! Our "Ladies who Lunch" group always had a special table once a month in the Walnut Room ... until Macy's bought Field's. After that we never set foot in the place.