
What in the World Is Causing the Retail Meltdown of 2017? - Doches
https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2017/04/retail-meltdown-of-2017/522384/?single_page=true
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milesvp
I think one major factor that the article didn't mention, is that Malls are
overpriced and lame. There's a mall I grew up with in Seattle, it was getting
long in the tooth about 16 years ago, then it had a pretty major overhaul, and
was revitalized. Now it's starting to get long in the tooth again.

All I know, is that when I go to any mall in my area, I tend to feel a little
gross. Not gross like I feel in a wallmart, but gross enough not to want to be
there. The lighting is wrong. The colors are wrong. The space feels
constricting. The general energy feels wrong too. The end result is that the
experience is draining.

I strongly suspect that another part of the problem is that the mall managers
do a poor job managing the intangibles, and end up doing things to maximize
short term profits. I've always been told to avoid mall retail space as a
small player since malls will tend to turn the screws every year, until you're
guaranteed to make no profit. And I think this strategy works until it
doesn't. It makes sense to have high rents since it helps ensure that the
highest quality tenants use a scarce resource (best example of this was the
Eve economist raising rents in key locations to prop up the entire Eve
economy), but I think it effects the overall diversity that may be necessary
to foster in a place like a mall.

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Nadya
In addition to everything else you said, one small addendum to make.

 _> I think one major factor that the article didn't mention, is that Malls
are overpriced_

Even at "fair prices" \- outside of clothing... why would I go to a mall
instead of order online? (FWIW, I order my clothes online too since my size
hasn't changed in years.)

I have zero reason to go to a crowded mall, deal with people window
shopping/being slow in front of me, etc. when I can buy my things online and
get them in a few days.

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itchyouch
Fitment of clothing is a pretty big factor for a large portion of the
population. Different company sizes fit differently.

Style, color and other subtleties are also difficult to tangibly reason about
without checking out clothing in person. These things also matter a lot to a
significant portion of the population.

There is also an intrinsic instant gratification of purchasing something and
taking it home immediately.

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Nadya
Which is why I specifically omitted buying clothing from my reasons to go to
the mall. I'm aware that I'm the minority who just doesn't care enough as long
as the shirt fits and isn't itchy. Most people I know of who are going to the
mall are going to buy clothes - because there are a number of clothing
retailers in relatively close proximity and they can try things on at each
place.

 _> There is also an intrinsic instant gratification of purchasing something
and taking it home immediately._

I think _not_ having this is great to help avoid impulse buying. I have no
gratification in making purchases and rather dislike spending money at all.
That buying something doesn't "feel good" means I make less purchases than my
roommate who loves buying cute stationary and such. She doesn't actually _use_
any of the stationary - but buying it makes her happy.

