I was referencing approximately 5 years since the crackdown on the outlet stores. And, yes, you can say “compare at”.
Now how does that compare online stores? Do they also sell MFOs mainly?
I think malls will always have a place but they may need to reinvent themselves some. Was at the mall yesterday and went to Bonobos. Very small store and was my first time there. Basically they have samples and try on items for fit so you don’t actually walk out of the store with the item, they ship it to you. I had been looking online to buy some pants but was uncertain of the fit. Going to the store allowed me to try on for fit, now I can order future pairs without having to go in. Bought one pair of chinos and may order some different colors after wearing the ones I bought a few times.
If you mean like nordstromrack.com, my guess is that very few of the offerings are carryover from mainline stores, as the size/color runs are often too broken to maximize the ROI that an image on the site requires. So mostly MFOs or opportunistic buys.
@skieurope I meant real online stores like build.com for fixtures. Do they carry MFO type?
Our small town mall is pretty dead. The large outlet mall nearby continues to be busy. I did some returns there recently and I was glad to see it. Surely young people must still love to shop in real stores like always? The thrill of the hunt and all that, LOL.
The mall closest to my home is a combination of indoor and outdoor space, and seems to be doing fairly well. They have several restaurants and a big movie theater, along with the standard mall stuff. When my kids were in HS, I was at the mall multiple times per week. I’ve been twice this week, because it’s Nordstrom Anniversary sale, and we need new IPADs (wanted to check out iPad Pro vs IPad Air), but before this week it was a couple of months since last trip. I wound up ordering the IPADs at Costco, because their warranty is so good.
You have to give the customers a reason to come in the store. Right now, “BOPIS” (buy online pickup in store) is huge for retailers. The customer orders online, so can get the full selection available and then can go pick it up in the store. Usually other items are purchased. There is no shipping charge for that, and if you don’t like it, you can return it right then.
I’m not familiar enough with that exact site to comment.
…not sure when I was actually in a mall last.
The closest mall to us was razed. It died.
Next closest is a very large outlet mall. I never go.
Next closest is dying. Lost Sears. Lost Carson’s. Not sure if JC Penny or Macy’s can hang on. Someone told me the mall owners are going to redevelop the mall into residential, entertainment, and shopping “mini-town center”.
Since there seems to be a demand for walkable neighborhoods, & done right, this seems like an excellent idea.
Shopping mini center, yes that is popping up around me. I don’t like it myself but there are many things I don’t like but successful.
I was shocked at how nice the upscale shopping malls in South Africa are compared to ones in the US!!
“I was shocked at how nice the upscale shopping malls in South Africa are compared to ones in the US!!”
Same thing in the Philippines - the upscale malls are bigger and nicer than in the US. And major malls rarely go out of business in the Philippines.
Speaking of which, when we recently visited Chiang Mai, Thailand, we noticed two malls in fairly close proximity, one of which was newer and bustling, while the older, larger one was at least 50% empty.
I visited those malls in Thailand in February, and since coming home I haven’t been to a mall. Why would I? They don’t have home improvement stores.
Reading this thread has made me realize that malls seem to be moving to developing countries, and truly catching on there. When I moved to India 10 years ago, there was one tiny mall with barely any people. Now there are about 3 gigantic ones (including a ‘township’ - basically a micro town within the city, much more upscale compared to the average neighborhood, and boasting a large, bustling mall as the centre of activity.) and several smaller ones - most of them very popular and crowded to the point of being nauseating on weekends.
Our malls seem to be doing acceptably well. The closest one to me has been undergoing a renovation for over a year and it will have a new movie theater and several new places to eat. Whether that will help the current retail stores there remains to be seen.
What I’ve noticed is that our Macys and Nordstrom (probably Bloomies too but I haven’t been there in awhile) have well staffed customer service desks now. Here you can return any purchase – I see a lot of people, including me, returning online purchases–or pick up online purchases. Certainly makes sense to me and I like that traditional department stores are learning to work with the online customer.
I agree that in days long past, I enjoyed wandering a good mall. It just doesn’t hold any appeal now. I wonder if all the time I (we all) spend playing on our computers appeals more and is now what we do with the spare time??!
The mall where I used to live is dying. I used it to walk more than I used it to shop. In fact, I would typically see more people walking before the stores opened than shopping there on weekdays. Out of boredom with walking I’d count the empty storefronts.
Nearby strip shopping centers and an upscale outdoor shopping center get more foot traffic.
The Bloomingdales at the nice outdoor mall near me has an alcove where they used to sell jewelry that has been converted to a customer serive area for returns and pick ups. It’s very very fast moving. The entire mall is thriving with great restaurants. It’s also one of the more diverse areas of the city with something like 22 languages spoken by customers.
We have several malls nearby. One is very successful. One was nearly dead, but underwent a revamp. I don’t know how that is going because I never use that mall. Then there a small city with two malls. One is doing well (upscale) and the other isn’t.
Malls need to repurpose. Have a cinema, places to eat, places to relax, places to just get coffee. That’s how they will survive. I believe most people still prefer to shop in a mall, given a choice, and if they have time. Personally, I like shopping in the small town with lots of good shops on the Main Street.
I recall going to Northland Center as a child, which was one of the nation’s first shopping malls - it was enclosed in the 70’s, which was a huge deal. Its last anchor store, Macys, closed in 2015. In the meantime, many such malls were built in our area … and many have since closed. We have one vibrant, high end mall in my area now, and a handful of malls that are struggling. Nordstrom just pulled out of a mall in an area that has a very high population density (with plenty of people who can afford to shop at Nordstrom). The mall closest to me is still quite nice, but it is only crowded during the winter holiday season.
On the other hand, there is an enclosed outlet mall near me that is always crowded (at least on the weekends). People are looking for deals when they physically shop, I guess.
When I was young, we walked to the stores that lined the main street in my town. We had a department store where we bought clothes - although back-to-school and specialty clothes shopping was done at Northland Center. We had a record shop, a butcher, two grocery stores, a store that sold “sundries” (shampoo, pain relievers, deodorant, etc.), a bakery, two “dime stores” … everything we needed for everyday life.
Then the suburban explosion happened. People moved from towns like mine and populated the once-sparsely-populated suburbs. Enclosed shopping malls came first, then shopping strips. The closest mall to me has been closed for YEARS, and demolition finally happened last month. Everything changes.
I think about how things changed since I was a kid. I don’t know what the future holds, but everything changes …