Re: Don't blame Amazon

Tinkrbl44 · ‎08-23-2010

I'm really not sure who is supposedly blaming Amazon, but it's pretty obvious (to me) that the retail industry has been in a state of constant change for as long as I can remember.

I do think that the Retail Management Programs currently taught in colleges and universities have an outdated curriculum .... and the freshly graduated go into retail corporations thinking they have all the answers. Which they don't.

I also see this in Supermarket promotions all the time ... their objective is no longer to save you time and money. Go figure.

shoekitty · ‎03-10-2010

I think what has also hurt Macys and some retail clothing stores is the compartmentalizing the clothing by designer. What a mess. For people in my age bracket, it is too much work to go through every department looking for pants, or a top. They need to have all petites in ONE section. All pants in One section. All jeans in ONE section. All sweaters in one section. Some Macys and nordies stores are small , but many macys are multi level, and huge. The Valley Fair in san jose, is a clothing mecca. It is too huge. All clothes are in departments. Jones clothes in one area, all inc in one area, Lucky brand in another. They have every single brand with its own area, and on multi levels. If one wants a top, you have to go to 20 different depts, on 3 levels. When I want pants or jeans, I would like to go to one area and see them all.

when one goes online to macys, we put in pants, or jeans, top, whatever and every brand comes up. You can then sort through short sleeve, long, sleeve. Easy. I am just not into driving an hour each way, driving in parking lot for 20 mins to find a slot. Then walking a quarter mile to store front to begin a half day journey to search for a dam top. Whew!!!

They need to organize better. another thing at Macys is the lack of help. The mall I would go to has 2 cash registers on bottom floor., a line a mile long. You cant get help. No extra inventory on floor, so if a color is gone or a size you don't know if they have it BECAUSE it might be in that huge , huge pile of tried on clothing that backs up for a couple days.

At the macys I go to I hate it because of those darn coupons, I don't keep track of them, or cut them out. Online you automatically get them! Plus mrrebates! Then the clerks try to talk you into a credit card, some persist, because we know they get 4 to 5 dollars cash every time they sign someone up. Lunch money! One older clerk who has been there is so pushy, people avoid her.

“sometimes you have to bite your upper lip and put sunglasses on”….Bob Dylan

CalminHeart · ‎03-09-2010

I've been to Marshalls, TJMax and other stores and have yet to buy anything. I quit going. Maybe it's me. Maybe it's the stores here. But I haven't had any luck in them.

Annabellethecat66 · ‎03-12-2010

Due to my bad back and knees I haven't been in a 'brick and mortar' store in over 1 years.

That said, my friend I eat with 4 or 5 times a week is constantly complaining about these same stores. My daughter does too.

They all say the same thing about Macy's, their coupons stink. When you go to use them whatever you are buying doesn't work with any of those coupons.

Often they don't tell you until they've rung them up. According to them, not only are the prices high but the coupons are a headache.

Mominohio · ‎08-08-2010

@jackthebear wrote:
I think part of Macy's problem is rolling all the regional department stores that everyone loved, into a national department store; coupled with the other things, internet and off price

Yep this was a big thing in Ohio, and I think each time these department stores are gobbled up by a bigger one, more and more of the good service and charm is lost.

Ohio used to have Lazarus and they went out/merged a few decades ago now. It was a real loss, as the company was well loved. The legend goes that during the depression, not a single employee was let go. Hours were trimmed, but everyone kept working and earning some living.

They had beautiful merchandise. Department stores in most of America are nothing like they were back in the day. Missed much by me!

KingstonsMom · ‎03-09-2010

@hoosieroriginal wrote:
I love my TJ Maxx - it's basically the only place I shop for clothing, household goods, beauty products. I do like that the inventory changes all the time. I haven't stepped foot in a Macy's for over 5 years - and if I can remember at that time, they already had a section for reduced clothing - wasn't impressed - just stuff that everyone else didn't want. I don't think it will work unless they open a "discount" store.

@hoosieroriginal

Me too! I also shop a lot at Ross, Marshalls and Home Goods.

You never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have.

millieshops · ‎03-09-2010

@Tinkrbl44I used to buy the Limoges boxes as my travel souvenirs and I displayed 3 or 5 of them on a rotating basis on my buffet.

At one point I thought the Limoges has become too expensive for a tiny decorative item and I switched to buying things I could use like those Marshall Field candies and fancy teas and keeping the pretty tins they came in. Again, the boxes are a dining room display - but the tins are on a shelf because some of my favorites are just too big to be displayed on my buffet.

I can remember pretty well where many of the boxes came from. The Fields' candy box is easy, but so is the Limoges cactus I bought in Vegas as well as the fancy riding helmet box I bought the year I went to Chuirchill Downs. When I think I could forget, I write the source on a scrap of paper and put it in the box as my reminder.

Thanks for asking. Millie

HappyDaze · ‎06-13-2012

@CalminHeart wrote:
I've been to Marshalls, TJMax and other stores and have yet to buy anything. I quit going. Maybe it's me. Maybe it's the stores here. But I haven't had any luck in them.

No, not just you.

sgraham30 · ‎03-14-2010

@HappyDaze wrote:
@CalminHeart wrote:
I've been to Marshalls, TJMax and other stores and have yet to buy anything. I quit going. Maybe it's me. Maybe it's the stores here. But I haven't had any luck in them.
No, not just you.

I never have much luck in those stores either. The only thing I really buy from any of those type of stores is the RuskW8less hairspray that I use, that's IF I'm able to find any.

Sunshine Kate · ‎03-10-2010

I don't think Burlington, Ross or TJ's are what they used to be years ago. I can tell they have changed because I don't spend but a fraction compared to many years ago.