
UBS estimates 75,000 U.S. stores need to close, as online sales and Amazon grow - bookofjoe
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/04/09/75000-more-stores-need-to-close-ubs-estimates-as-online-sales-grow.html
======
rdlecler1
Some of this is a product of our city planning. We’ve built cities such that
goods and services are in one area and housing is in another. It makes it more
convenient to order online. In Manhattan you can find everything you want
within a few blocks.

~~~
mruts
I'm not sure why mixed use developments fell out of favor for a long time, but
that's the solution, really.

~~~
dragontamer
Mixed use developments don't really have giant stores. They have hangout
spots.

Ex: Restaurants, Pubs, Cafes, Board-game "stores" (which are really Magic: The
Gathering / Dungeons and Dragons meetup centers), Salons and Barber Shops.

When someone wants to shop, they want to have as wide of a selection as
possible. Amazon is the generic marketplace. However, Amazon is losing trust
(at least with me, not with a lot of others), so I've begun to shop at other
online stores: Jetpens.com, RightStuf, NewEgg, BarnesAndNoble, Adafruit,
Wayfair.

The specialty stores simply have a better layout and better assurances against
counterfeits. Amazon hasn't really done anything to stop its counterfeit
problem:
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13924546](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13924546)

But still, one can't deny the fact that Amazon is the largest marketplace, and
therefore one of the most convenient browsing spots on the internet.

~~~
virusduck
Interesting. In Atlanta, a large number of "mixed-use" developments over the
last 10 or so years are all anchored by one or more big box stores or at least
a grocery store.

~~~
dragontamer
Hmm, Mixed-use in my eyes is apartment buildings (or condos) where the 1st
floor is dedicated to shops. Perhaps its just the culture of my area in the
mid-atlantic.

Basically apartments / condos on the 2nd floor and up, but shops on the 1st
floor + lots of parking. I can't really think of a traditional anchor at these
locations...

~~~
mruts
I dunno, a lot of people in NYC live above Duane Reade’s, or Best Buy’s or
whatever.

~~~
virusduck
Yeah, we've got those too. Some have giant parking lots associated, some
don't.

------
atonse
We decided to cancel our Prime membership due to Amazon's increasingly shady
dealings. But I have to be honest: It's been VERY difficult. VERY
inconvenient. (In a relative, first-world-problem kind of way, of course).

There are certain products only available on Amazon (like some Anker
products), and you just can't beat the convenience factor.

Who knows if we'll last, but I have to say, Amazon is hard to beat.

ShopRunner seems promising but you still have to go to multiple websites to
find things.

And retail works well when you need something quickly, but it is still a time
sink in the US (20 min drive to a store to buy something, etc).

~~~
chillacy
I tried going back to retail for awhile when I was between places and I forgot
how much time it took to drive to a store, search the store, find out that
they don't even stock the item half the time, drove me crazy. I ended up going
back to online shopping, ordering packages to a mail forwarder, which turned
out to be still more convenient.

~~~
atonse
This, and the other thing is that we've gotten so used to doing online
research before buying something, especially for bigger expenses.

Doing research in a retail store is no less work, and in fact, it's more work
because you have to look for specific things on multiple boxes, lookup
reviews, etc.

------
8bitsrule
For clothing, I find it hard online to judge fit, quality of material,
durability, etc. for one brand, and compared to other brands. Similar concerns
for other product types.

I'm going to hate where this is all going.

------
strict9
I guess that's the trend and there is no denying Amazon but I'd be surprised
if past gains are as solid of a future predictor as this this article purports
them to be.

The seduction of avoiding traffic and human contact is undeniable, but every
successful business becomes a victim of its success.

Amazon has a serious counterfeit problem and I doubt they solve it. It's too
easy to do for profit.

