Brick and Mortar Stores in Trouble?

[longknife]

Reading a headline like the following shows why so many stores are barely making it.

Amazon Reports 23% Increase in Q1 Net Sales, Reaches $19.74 Billion.

They claim Fire TV is responsible for some of the increase. The piece is short but read it @ Amazon Reports 23% Increase in Q1 Net Sales, Reaches $19.74B - GalleyCat

 

[Iceweasel]

I was in two stores today and couldn't find any help at all. Walked around for a bit too. Even if you find a warm body the chances are high they don't know anything about the product, maybe just the location. I decided to order the equipment online.

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

About the only thing I dont buy online are clothes and groceries.
Even with shipping costs you can get better deals then at a brick and mortar.
It wouldnt bother me to see the strip mall go the way of the dinosaur one bit.

 

[Mr. H.]

Son and his wife use Peapod to purchase their groceries. $7 fee.

 

[Moonglow]

What if the store used stone and masonry?

 

[HenryBHough]

Shopping for an additional graphics computer last week. Went to a local store I'd used several times before. I had decided on what I wanted using the manufacturers website but went local to buy as the prices were about the same. Used to be fun to buy from them - now a new attitude prevails. One that is a complete turn-off. Ordered online for delivery in about 2-days.

 

[Gracie]

This has been ongoing for some time now. Why go to stores when you can get what you want online and it is delivered to your door?

Plus, like IceWeasel said...when you DO go in a store, the idiots behind the counter are talking amongst themselves, or chatting on their cell phones. They don't greet you or even make eye contact. When that happens to me..rarely now, since I don't go anywhere unless I hafta...I always make it be known that I appreciated their courtesy in acknowledging my presence (sarcastically), as I walk back out the door with NO purchases.

Idiots.

 

[oldfart]

About the only thing I dont buy online are clothes and groceries.
Even with shipping costs you can get better deals then at a brick and mortar.
It wouldnt bother me to see the strip mall go the way of the dinosaur one bit.

God forbid no! We own one.

 

[oldfart]

This has been ongoing for some time now. Why go to stores when you can get what you want online and it is delivered to your door?

Plus, like IceWeasel said...when you DO go in a store, the idiots behind the counter are talking amongst themselves, or chatting on their cell phones. They don't greet you or even make eye contact. When that happens to me..rarely now, since I don't go anywhere unless I hafta...I always make it be known that I appreciated their courtesy in acknowledging my presence (sarcastically), as I walk back out the door with NO purchases.

Idiots.

If something can be reduced to a fungible commodity, then a local store selling it is in trouble. For that reason, when I look at retail, I look for opportunities where there is a significant service component and where the vendor has a razor focus on the customer experience. Everyone else is dead meat.

And thanks for the post. Starting Monday, I am requiring cell phones of staff to be turned off on business premises during working hours. In an emergency, they should have given out the land line number. I expect by Tuesday there will be some withdrawal, but you are absolutely right. There is no reason for employees to text, talk, or check personal email while working.

And yes, I have a smartphone; and no, it has never been turned on routinely in the office. In the field is another story.

 

[william the wie]

About the only thing I dont buy online are clothes and groceries.
Even with shipping costs you can get better deals then at a brick and mortar.
It wouldnt bother me to see the strip mall go the way of the dinosaur one bit.

God forbid no! We own one.

Unless it is all dollar stores, gas stations and restaurants I would dump it. Even grocery stores are getting iffy as a longrun proposition.

 

[Gracie]

This has been ongoing for some time now. Why go to stores when you can get what you want online and it is delivered to your door?

Plus, like IceWeasel said...when you DO go in a store, the idiots behind the counter are talking amongst themselves, or chatting on their cell phones. They don't greet you or even make eye contact. When that happens to me..rarely now, since I don't go anywhere unless I hafta...I always make it be known that I appreciated their courtesy in acknowledging my presence (sarcastically), as I walk back out the door with NO purchases.

Idiots.

If something can be reduced to a fungible commodity, then a local store selling it is in trouble. For that reason, when I look at retail, I look for opportunities where there is a significant service component and where the vendor has a razor focus on the customer experience. Everyone else is dead meat.

And thanks for the post. Starting Monday, I am requiring cell phones of staff to be turned off on business premises during working hours. In an emergency, they should have given out the land line number. I expect by Tuesday there will be some withdrawal, but you are absolutely right. There is no reason for employees to text, talk, or check personal email while working.

And yes, I have a smartphone; and no, it has never been turned on routinely in the office. In the field is another story.

When I had my 2 shops, I had simple rules...enforced strictly:

Answer the business phone by the third ring or you are fired.

Greet every customer even if you are in the process of a huge sale. Make eye contact, nod, briefly say "I will be right with you". This shows the customer has been acknowledged. If you don't do this, you are fired.

No friends stopping by to visit, or you are fired.

No doing homework. Even if biz is slow. There are plenty of things to do while on the payroll. If you are caught, you are fired.

That was it. Simple rules. The customer is most important. They buy. But they won't if they are snubbed or ignored.

 

[oldfart]

About the only thing I dont buy online are clothes and groceries.
Even with shipping costs you can get better deals then at a brick and mortar.
It wouldnt bother me to see the strip mall go the way of the dinosaur one bit.

God forbid no! We own one.

Unless it is all dollar stores, gas stations and restaurants I would dump it. Even grocery stores are getting iffy as a longrun proposition.

We have a full service restaurant, an ice cream store, a BBQ joint, a barber shop, a beauty shop, a stockbroker, a gun store, a second hand furniture store, and a martial arts studio. All are current on their rent, there are no vacancies, a waiting list, and phase two pours concrete next spring. When we bought it 18 months ago only 35% of units were occupied and current on rent. The purchase price was based on the cash flow of the old owner, so I expect to do pretty well. No mortgage, owner financed 95% at very good terms. We also own the insurance agency which places the insurance, the firm that does the tax and accounting work, and the commercial real estate company that handles the grounds maintenance. If I can keep an expense in house, I do. Not bad for an ivory tower economics professor.

 

[oldfart]

This has been ongoing for some time now. Why go to stores when you can get what you want online and it is delivered to your door?

Plus, like IceWeasel said...when you DO go in a store, the idiots behind the counter are talking amongst themselves, or chatting on their cell phones. They don't greet you or even make eye contact. When that happens to me..rarely now, since I don't go anywhere unless I hafta...I always make it be known that I appreciated their courtesy in acknowledging my presence (sarcastically), as I walk back out the door with NO purchases.

Idiots.

If something can be reduced to a fungible commodity, then a local store selling it is in trouble. For that reason, when I look at retail, I look for opportunities where there is a significant service component and where the vendor has a razor focus on the customer experience. Everyone else is dead meat.

And thanks for the post. Starting Monday, I am requiring cell phones of staff to be turned off on business premises during working hours. In an emergency, they should have given out the land line number. I expect by Tuesday there will be some withdrawal, but you are absolutely right. There is no reason for employees to text, talk, or check personal email while working.

And yes, I have a smartphone; and no, it has never been turned on routinely in the office. In the field is another story.

When I had my 2 shops, I had simple rules...enforced strictly:

Answer the business phone by the third ring or you are fired.

Greet every customer even if you are in the process of a huge sale. Make eye contact, nod, briefly say "I will be right with you". This shows the customer has been acknowledged. If you don't do this, you are fired.

No friends stopping by to visit, or you are fired.

No doing homework. Even if biz is slow. There are plenty of things to do while on the payroll. If you are caught, you are fired.

That was it. Simple rules. The customer is most important. They buy. But they won't if they are snubbed or ignored.

You'll do well. One last rule, pay more than comparable businesses. Reward the best, get rid of the rest. Don't forget respect and recognition; the ones you want to keep are motivated by more than the paycheck.

 

[Gracie]

I don't have the shops any more, oldfart. Stupid landlords raised the rent. Now they have empty shops because nobody can afford what they are asking.

 

[Disir]

I don't go to brick and mortar stores unless it is necessary. They don't carry what I want.

I read an article awhile back stating that consumers were going to the stores to look at the clothing or other items and then going on line to buy. While that may be true for some, the reality is that they don't often sell those items at the stores. It's like that for all kinds of items. There is no specialization and you get what you get. So, I have to hunt to find what I want.

 

[william the wie]

I don't go to brick and mortar stores unless it is necessary. They don't carry what I want.

I read an article awhile back stating that consumers were going to the stores to look at the clothing or other items and then going on line to buy. While that may be true for some, the reality is that they don't often sell those items at the stores. It's like that for all kinds of items. There is no specialization and you get what you get. So, I have to hunt to find what I want.

I agree with Old Fart personal and car services will persist but otherwise everything is going online.

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

About the only thing I dont buy online are clothes and groceries.
Even with shipping costs you can get better deals then at a brick and mortar.
It wouldnt bother me to see the strip mall go the way of the dinosaur one bit.

God forbid no! We own one.

A perfect example of the reason I shop online happened last Friday.
I was shopping for a Trijicon RMR 07 for a new pistol I had recently purchased.
Normally I would just order it online,but I wanted it for that weekend.
Both gun stores I checked wanted $740 to $750.
You can buy em online all day for under $600 with free shipping.
The only reason to go to a brick and mortar store these days is if you have no clue about the product you're looking for and need expert advice. But with the bone heads you find behind the counter these days,you're better off spending your time educating yourself online about the product then dealing with the knuckle heads who act like they're doing you a favor when you ask questions.

 

[oldfart]

I don't have the shops any more, oldfart. Stupid landlords raised the rent. Now they have empty shops because nobody can afford what they are asking.

Lots of vacancies in my area for the same reason. That's why I got into real estate in 84, to lock in the costs of occupancy for my business. Leasing out to third parties came much later. I hope there is not anything inherent in owning commercial real estate that causes brain rot. There are a lot of brain dead people doing it, but then again, most of them inherited the property around here.

 

[oldfart]

About the only thing I dont buy online are clothes and groceries.
Even with shipping costs you can get better deals then at a brick and mortar.
It wouldnt bother me to see the strip mall go the way of the dinosaur one bit.

God forbid no! We own one.

A perfect example of the reason I shop online happened last Friday.
I was shopping for a Trijicon RMR 07 for a new pistol I had recently purchased.
Normally I would just order it online,but I wanted it for that weekend.
Both gun stores I checked wanted $740 to $750.
You can buy em online all day for under $600 with free shipping.
The only reason to go to a brick and mortar store these days is if you have no clue about the product you're looking for and need expert advice. But with the bone heads you find behind the counter these days,you're better off spending your time educating yourself online about the product then dealing with the knuckle heads who act like they're doing you a favor when you ask questions.

We own the gun store. Buy it online and I don't have to carry it in inventory. I undercut everybody else with the transfer fee (buy online and they must ship to a FFL dealer who does the background check). When you pick up the gun, you usually buy some ammo and accessories ( custom pistol grips anyone? Some Red Jacket zombie targets for your teenagers room?). I really don't want much money tied up in pistol inventory except for a couple items in the AC line. Gunsmith is in two half-days a week. Sales staff (and partners) are all former SOS Hurlburt.

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

God forbid no! We own one.

A perfect example of the reason I shop online happened last Friday.
I was shopping for a Trijicon RMR 07 for a new pistol I had recently purchased.
Normally I would just order it online,but I wanted it for that weekend.
Both gun stores I checked wanted $740 to $750.
You can buy em online all day for under $600 with free shipping.
The only reason to go to a brick and mortar store these days is if you have no clue about the product you're looking for and need expert advice. But with the bone heads you find behind the counter these days,you're better off spending your time educating yourself online about the product then dealing with the knuckle heads who act like they're doing you a favor when you ask questions.

We own the gun store. Buy it online and I don't have to carry it in inventory. I undercut everybody else with the transfer fee (buy online and they must ship to a FFL dealer who does the background check). When you pick up the gun, you usually buy some ammo and accessories ( custom pistol grips anyone? Some Red Jacket zombie targets for your teenagers room?). I really don't want much money tied up in pistol inventory except for a couple items in the AC line. Gunsmith is in two half-days a week. Sales staff (and partners) are all former SOS Hurlburt.

It's the sight I was after,not a gun.
Trijicon RMR Adjustable Red Dot Sight w/ MOA Dot Reticle FREE S&H RM07-34W, RM07, RM07-33, RM07-38, RM07-35, RM07-34, RM07-36. Trijicon Red Dot Sights.

If you can match the online prices I get,I'd be happy to purchase future products from you.