Community Chat

[gardenman]

I think department stores largely killed themselves. I grew up shopping in Philly at Lits, Strawbridges and Clothier, Gimbels, and Wanamakers. Each store was unique. Now department stores have become homogenized. They're all the same. They're no longer a destination. They're just another store.

I think there's an opening for an old-style, unique department store. A store that's a destination. A store that people look forward to visiting. A store that caters to every customer and offers unparalleled customer service. 

The cost of starting such a store these days would be astronomical and you'd likely lose money for the first few years, but long term, I'd say it could be enormously successful. Getting the right staff would be a challenge, but if you could pull it off, you could reinvent the department store model.