This week, J.C. Penney filed for bankruptcy protection after a prolonged decline over the past 20 years, becoming the latest and largest retailer to fall during the coronavirus pandemic, which has devastated the industry. Questions: How many employees does this affect? When and where did the company start? How many stores does the company have… Read more »
Posts Tagged: brick and mortar
Who can save Barnes and Noble?
According to the New York Times, the man, James Daunt, who will soon try to revive Barnes & Noble once spent weeks arguing with a bookstore shelving designer that the correct angle of tilt for a shelf is three degrees, because books catch more light and attention on shelves below eye level. Questions: Which bookstore… Read more »
Woes for Lowe’s?
Lowe’s announced that it will be laying off thousands of workers, including maintenance workers, service workers, and furniture and grill assemblers. Questions: How does Lowe’s plan to fill this void? What will it offer the laid-off workers? What is the health of Lowe’s stores overall? Source: Dockery, W. (2019). Lowe’s Layoffs 2019: Why The Hardware… Read more »
Maybe a way to save U.S. shopping malls
Teenagers from Gen Z keep confounding Corporate America. And as Bloomberg points out, they may hold the key to saving U.S. shopping malls. Questions: As opposed to a three-month period in 2018 when 75 percent of millennials and 58 percent of Gen X’ers went to shopping malls, what percentage of Gen Z frequented these physical… Read more »
Oh the times….they are a changin’
According to the New York Times, these are the less-than-elegant last days of what, in the days when department stores were destinations, was one of New York City’s most elegant: Lord & Taylor, a fortress on Fifth Avenue. Questions: 1. What was the guilt about? 2. Was the article really about the store? 3. What… Read more »
Amazon – Only the Best – Coming in stores near you!
Amazon’s latest retail concept looks a lot like your online shopping cart brought to life. It’s a physical store that offers only products with high customer ratings, including non-Amazon-branded merchandise. Items must be a top seller, have a four-star rating or above, or be new and trending on Amazon.com. Questions: 1. How many brick-and-mortar bookstores… Read more »
Amazon goes “brick and mortar”
In an unusual move, Amazon opened a storefront bookstore in Seattle’s University Village mall. Questions: 1. What are the characteristics of the books sold in the “brick and mortar store”? 2. In addition to books, what other products does the store carry? 3. What do you see as the costs and benefits of this new… Read more »