Quote:
Originally Posted by exit2lef
Sadly, by the time that Downtown has the critical mass of residents to support more shopping, I think that retail as we know it will have declined to a point where it can't be revived in places where it has either vanished or never thrived.
Scottsdale Fashion Square will continue to do well at the upper end of the market, but Biltmore Fashion Park has been a lot less busy since the Apple Store left, and most other malls are struggling. As astonishing as it may be to international visitors, the message will probably remain that Downtown is simply not the place to shop.
During my brief involvement in the conversation, I asked if the visitor wanted to go to a museum since several good ones are near Downtown. We had a language gap, but I sensed that her reply was "no thanks" and her real interest was in shopping.
|
Despite "ecommerce" something like 80% of transactions still occur in person at stores believe it or not.
The Demise of retail isnt nearly as bad (like most things) as you tend to hear about online or read about in the news. Just think about your own neighborhood, does there seem to be a steady declines of stores around your home? Did you notice the peak of storefronts 10 years ago that have declined at a steady clip since?
No, by and large most stores are still around or have been replaced with new forms of retail. And as Ronnie says specialty and boutique stores are there as much for the activity of shopping as they are for selling what they sell, same thing with luxury brands.
Sure Ill buy light bulbs and toilet paper from Amazon but if I'm going to spend $100 on a shirt Im going to go try it on and see what it looks like in person.