Amethyst
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
- Joined
- Dec 21, 2008
- Messages
- 12,689
I was pondering some recent reporting about troubles in the B&M retail business (e.g. Macy's, Bed-Bath-and-[-]Behind[/-]Beyond). I hope we are not seeing the death of real merchandise displayed in actual stores.
As an enthusiastic e-buyer, I am, of course, part of the problem. I have bought shoes on-line for years, because I wear a rare size; before that, I bought shoes from mail-order catalogs. Recently, I bought two dresses from Macy's.com based on what they looked like on the picture of the model. Not having to trek to a mall, wait to try things on, and stand in line to pay are bonuses.
However, it makes me nervous to contemplate giving up the option of trying before buying. One can't expect to remain the same size and shape forever. Furthermore, I've had some bad experiences with home-decor and home-repair items that were not as advertised, and it was a hassle sending them back (the closest full-service PO is 13 miles away and always mobbed). What's more, customer comments on Amazon are often packed with excessively high ratings, posted by people who were given free or discount merchandise.
What do you think? Are we entering an era where stores will close, and new ones not open in their place? Could the B&M retailers do something differently in order to survive? Should they even bother?
As an enthusiastic e-buyer, I am, of course, part of the problem. I have bought shoes on-line for years, because I wear a rare size; before that, I bought shoes from mail-order catalogs. Recently, I bought two dresses from Macy's.com based on what they looked like on the picture of the model. Not having to trek to a mall, wait to try things on, and stand in line to pay are bonuses.
However, it makes me nervous to contemplate giving up the option of trying before buying. One can't expect to remain the same size and shape forever. Furthermore, I've had some bad experiences with home-decor and home-repair items that were not as advertised, and it was a hassle sending them back (the closest full-service PO is 13 miles away and always mobbed). What's more, customer comments on Amazon are often packed with excessively high ratings, posted by people who were given free or discount merchandise.
What do you think? Are we entering an era where stores will close, and new ones not open in their place? Could the B&M retailers do something differently in order to survive? Should they even bother?