The Stores Are Dead !

[johneh]

Just got back from doing some Christmas shopping...

Super Wal Mart - somewhat busy in the toy & electronics department but the rest of the store was dead. Only a handful of registers open.

Target - Typical crowd you would see there any normal night of the year.

Kohls - Ummmm dead. They had a big maze set up for people to wait in line. I stepped over it and walked right up to the only open register which had no customers.

I think this is going to be a bad holiday season for the retailers.

[Flasch186]

And the Lions are winless.

[Young Drachma]

My mom mentioned this to me the other day too. She lives in PA and said that it was quieter than she'd seen in years. I haven't noticed, but I haven't gone out.

[KWhit]

Yeah. I don't think I've ever seen the malls/stores etc. this dead at this time of year.

[QuikSand]

Someone should contact an economist or something and let them know our research says the economy might be a bit soft.

[SackAttack]

I have to tell you, having worked in retail for the last, oh, seven years. Once it hits about 9 or 10pm, yes, it gets dead. Amazingly, people DON'T fall all over themselves to shop at 11pm, but for whatever reason the retailers stay open late to get that one crucial sale. I'm not sure they're making money off of it, but okay.

The shifts I've worked this year during "normal" shopping hours aren't any less busy than they've ever been. People may not be spending as much, but foot traffic doesn't appear to have suffered. Even when I went to the mall to do my own shopping, it was packed with people. Can't say that they were spending, but window shopping, absolutely.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Local stores & mall were a complete zoo Saturday, worst traffic I've seen since we've lived here. Anecdotally I'm seeing less big ticket stuff at checkouts but the amount of traffic looks pretty Christmasy.

On the other hand, service type stuff - hair dressers, tire/auto repair, etc - are deader than I've ever seen. "When can I get an appointment" seems to be answered frequently with "when can you be here".

[st.cronin]

Its been a mob scene whenever I've ventured out. There are a couple notable "going out of business" signs, but the parking lots have been an absolute nightmare to navigate.

[SackAttack]

Local stores & mall were a complete zoo Saturday, worst traffic I've seen since we've lived here. Anecdotally I'm seeing less big ticket stuff at checkouts but the amount of traffic looks pretty Christmasy.

Yep, sounds right. Lots of $20 PS2 games going out the door, not a ton of Xbox 360/PS3 hardware.

On the other hand, service type stuff - hair dressers, tire/auto repair, etc - are deader than I've ever seen. "When can I get an appointment" seems to be answered frequently with "when can you be here".

The tire/auto repair part surprises me, as that's a little more 'essential' than hair and nail salons.

[Matthean]

Well, the store I work at was number two in the district for beating percentages for Black Friday and we currently have a grand total of two laptops in the store because we sold everything else. We are already taking care of a number of items for rain checks as soon as we get a new truckload in. This being in Michigan, so not everybody is doing bad.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Yep, sounds right. Lots of $20 PS2 games going out the door, not a ton of Xbox 360/PS3 hardware.

Locally there's games galore (except for the RB/GH bundles for 360) but systems usually only one or two on hand at a time in any of the half dozen stores I've been in.

The tire/auto repair part surprises me, as that's a little more 'essential' than hair and nail salons.

Not around here it isn't ;)

Typically these women are going get their hair done even if the car won't start & they can't go anywhere. The tire/oil/repair people tell me (two repairs & an oil change at different places in the past month or so, so there's some sample size in my anecdote) that they've been starving for the past couple of months. I was only the second customer in three hours at a chain tire & repair place that sits in the mall parking lot for crying out loud.

[Marc Vaughan]

I have to tell you, having worked in retail for the last, oh, seven years. Once it hits about 9 or 10pm, yes, it gets dead. Amazingly, people DON'T fall all over themselves to shop at 11pm, but for whatever reason the retailers stay open late to get that one crucial sale. I'm not sure they're making money off of it, but okay.
I always kinda figured they'd have people there refilling the shelves anyway so decided they'd take money at the same time for little additional effort.

(and those stores which don't require shelf stacking at night would require security to watch the store which probably trades off some of the costs)

[Lathum]

We live in Seattle naw and all our gifts are going to our families in NJ so we bought everything online and had it all shipped there. One thing I have noticed is alot of sites are offering free shipping so that may be a reason people arent going out as much.

[SackAttack]

I always kinda figured they'd have people there refilling the shelves anyway so decided they'd take money at the same time for little additional effort.

(and those stores which don't require shelf stacking at night would require security to watch the store which probably trades off some of the costs)

Oh, that's the cute part. People who are there are there, yeah, to stock shelves and clean up and straighten up, and all it takes is one mother dragging her grumpy, don't-wanna-be-there five year olds to the store at 11pm, and guess what? Better hope she buys something, because it's going to take the staff longer than you budgeted for to clean up after her hellspawn (because she isn't going to).

Or you can send them home promptly at shift's end and let the morning people deal with cleaning up the mess, which will put them behind in preparing for the next day, which means product isn't out when people come in looking to buy.

It's a wonderful Catch-22!

[Apathetic Lurker]

Locally there's games galore (except for the RB/GH bundles for 360) but systems usually only one or two on hand at a time in any of the half dozen stores I've been in.



Not around here it isn't ;)

Typically these women are going get their hair done even if the car won't start & they can't go anywhere. The tire/oil/repair people tell me (two repairs & an oil change at different places in the past month or so, so there's some sample size in my anecdote) that they've been starving for the past couple of months. I was only the second customer in three hours at a chain tire & repair place that sits in the mall parking lot for crying out loud.


Lots of folks I know have been doing thier own oil changes...It is not that difficult to unscrew a bolt and watch the old oil pour into a bucket then screw bolt back on.. Same with tire rotation. They tend to buy used tires too. I have too. Why spend 200 on tires when I can get something slightly less worn for 100 bucks with installation somewhere else? Thats why a lot of those auto places near mall are dying on the vine.

[Philliesfan980]

Lots of folks I know have been doing thier own oil changes...It is not that difficult to unscrew a bolt and watch the old oil pour into a bucket then screw bolt back on.. Same with tire rotation. They tend to buy used tires too. I have too. Why spend 200 on tires when I can get something slightly less worn for 100 bucks with installation somewhere else? Thats why a lot of those auto places near mall are dying on the vine.


I actually buy the oil and filter myself (I like to use Mobil 1 Synthetic, which a lot of garages don't have readily available) and then take it to the garage. They charge me $20 labor to change the oil and rotate the tires. Considering how messy it is (I don't have a ramp), it's $20 well spent every 3-4 months.

[Apathetic Lurker]

I actually buy the oil and filter myself (I like to use Mobil 1 Synthetic, which a lot of garages don't have readily available) and then take it to the garage. They charge me $20 labor to change the oil and rotate the tires. Considering how messy it is (I don't have a ramp), it's $20 well spent every 3-4 months.


Some places refuse to let you bring your own, especially in those big chain box stores... I have taken my car in for a oil change once this year and only because I couldnt lay down under my car to unscrew the bolt.Damn surgery!

Lots of the mall stores try to tack on extras and it does work on those who dont know better.So that 20 buck oil change could easily run 50-60 bucks.They tried to do that to my wife a time or two when I wasnt available to change her oil. So you are lucky in that respect, that you could bring your own.

[Philliesfan980]

Some places refuse to let you bring your own, especially in those big chain box stores... I have taken my car in for a oil change once this year and only because I couldnt lay down under my car to unscrew the bolt.Damn surgery!

Lots of the mall stores try to tack on extras and it does work on those who dont know better.So that 20 buck oil change could easily run 50-60 bucks.They tried to do that to my wife a time or two when I wasnt available to change her oil. So you are lucky in that respect, that you could bring your own.

Yeah, really the key is to find a good INDEPENDENT garage that you can trust. I normally buy most parts for the major repairs as well. The garage makes out in the end, because then they can realize their true billable rate per hour rather than having to bundle parts in a standard price job.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Yeah, really the key is to find a good INDEPENDENT garage that you can trust.

Easier said than done though. I've found one in the past 20 years & he's now geographically undesirable.

[Apathetic Lurker]

I have one here in Buffalo who I trust...Unfortunately my wife tries to do hers while shopping or working so he's inconvenient for her for minor things like oil changes.

Thank God I made her leave the one her family uses when I met her..Holy shit is he a scam artist..But they refuse to believe me...idiots

[Philliesfan980]

Easier said than done though. I've found one in the past 20 years & he's now geographically undesirable.

I would agree with you there. I've bounced around to various placed for about 10 years, and finally found one a few years back that I trust.

[M GO BLUE!!!]

I read this as The Stones Are Dead!

I was wondering if Keith had finally realized he died.

[chesapeake]

I read this as The Stones Are Dead!

I was wondering if Keith had finally realized he died.


He has not. And I am pretty sure he turned 65 today.

[Comey]

You forgot to carry the one. 165.

[st.cronin]

Having a reliable, trustworthy auto mechanic is one of the most underrated quality of life issues there is.

[Cringer]

Stores are pretty busy here. I went to Wal-greens last night to get the wife some Tums and the place was packed with Christmas shoppers. Was a pain in the ass for a bottle of Tums.

[Shkspr]

Not getting Christmas gifts purchased at Walgreens is also one of the most underrated quality of life issues there is.