It's not just newspapers that are the new buggy whips

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/staples-to-shutter-225-stores-as-sales-move-online/2014/03/06/97f64a08-a526-11e3-b865-38b254d92063_story.html
By Associated Press, Updated: Thursday, March 6, 7:59 AM
FRAMINGHAM, Mass. — Staples will close up to 225 stores in North America by the end of next year as it seeks to trim about $500 million in costs annually by 2015.

The nation’s largest office-supply retailer said Thursday that nearly half of its sales are now generated online, so it will aggressively cut costs to become more efficient.
Company shares dropped more than 10 percent before markets opened.

The recession did heavy damage to the industry, which is now under increasing pressure from online retailers as well as discount stores.

There is rapid consolidation under way and rivals Office Depot and OfficeMax just completed a $1.2 billion merger.

But the overhead costs of running ‘big box” stores has put companies like Staples under stress.

FoxNews blames Obamacare

 

Aside from Walmart, Target, Bass Pro Shops and Cabela's, are any big boxes doing well these days?

 

Are Costco, Sams Club and BJs hurting?

 

Forgot Costco, lumped Sam's with Walmart and don't have the other one here so I didn't think of it. But you're right, there are probably a few more. It just seems like there are more big boxes in trouble than doing well.

 

I think Home Depot and Lowes are doing well.

Hard to buy lumber at amazon.

 

The trouble for a lot of big-box stores is that their economic model -- based on an expanding middle class moving deeper into the suburbs and willing to drive long distances because these stores were the only places that had decent selection -- is no longer a given.

 

I thought this thread was about spanking.

 

Target Canada has been an unmitigated disaster since it arrived about a year ago. Lost close to $1 billion in their first year and have left most Canadians totally unimpressed. Crappy store locations, empty shelves, small selection (because of store sizes) and high prices.

Canadian Tire, Costco Canada and Home Depot Canada are the big winners.

Sam's packed up and left the country a number of years ago.
No one can figure out what the fuck Lowe's is supposed to be.

 

My sister is a HD manager and she was telling me the other day that they've instituted a company-wide retraining program that highlights customer service for Internet orders...most stores will have reserved parking for Internet order pick-up, and there will special counter and dedicated employees to deal with these golden customers.

"We are not going to let happen to us what happened to Circuit City" is the mantra, apparently, as HD embraces the Internet.

 

I've never seen the numbers but the Bass Pro in the city I used to live in was viewed as a "destination shopping" place, to the point that the city counsel had no qualms about hiking sales tax in that shopping center only to 11%. It failed because the other stores in that center revolted (why go to Books a Million at 11% when you could go to Barnes and Noble two miles away at 8%, for instance)

I don't have a crystal ball so I can't say if would have failed or not but I do remember all the opposition came from the neighbor stores, not Bass Pro