Speakeasy forum: Store closings

We're seeing them come and go. The earlier built ones that now have no freeway ramp exit right to the parking lot seem most vulnerable. Our first enclosed mall die and this might have been part of it. Our once thriving downtown "upscale" facility went down when the gangs and other groups of kids used it as a hangout. They didn't buy much and shoppers were naturally intimidated by them. As well, panhandlers at many entrances didn't help...nor did an occasional round of gunfire on the escalators. It's not just anchor stores but smaller stores with the same proprietorship. Limited Brands was big which, at one time, owned 1/2 dozen or more stores in most malls. When they pull out, the place just seems to dry up. Les Wexner & Co. are still around but have concentrated on just a few specialty products. We've had some newer and bigger malls replace some of the older deserted areas. These are mainly suburban edge types with freeway to the doorsteps. An interesting trend I am seeing here is that it enclosed malls seem to be passing in favor of streets of shops whose front doors open right to the outdoor sidewalks. This means braving rain, sleet and snow...just like in the good ol' days.

Problems are similar. So are the solutions. My observation is many box stores are unable to move into areas as successfully where local store owners have maintained reasonable prices and used associations properly to compete. In areas where store owners have had a small town monopoly and charged like it, then large box stores become a blessing to the other citizens there.

...quit giving long term property tax breaks to big box stores for moving into an area. It's not fair the smaller stores who have been there for years, decades even, should pay higher property taxes per sq ft of floor space than the big box stores. To appeal to voters officials will often talk about all the jobs THEY are bringing to an area, but not so much about the jobs that will be lost nor at what cost to everyone for property taxes lowered or set aside to "lure" the stores there.

If you have 3-4 smaller towns in an area, the one that can lure the big box store to their town will prosper while the others will fade, often to nothing. Since each small town can make their own deal to lure the big box store, then the easiest way is property tax set asides and other special privileges to the big box store that no other long term smaller store in the area has ever received.

Restore fair play, enforce it, and you will see the change you desire. Stab one group in the back while laying out the red carpet for the other and you get what you observe today. Remove the legal abilities for elected officials to give special tax considerations for some corporations over others, you'll see a change. You'll also see those elected officials who make under $100K per year no longer living like those who make several times that amount and end up much richer at the end of their time of "service" than when they were first elected.

We have a couple of Wal-Marts in the area and they haven't blasted other stores out of existence. Wal-Mart prices aren't always the lowest either.

We enjoyed the older one near the house, then they built a new huge superstore at the next interstate exit. Too big. Takes too long and have to cover too much of the floor to find the same things we could do quicker in the older smaller store. We quit. Now we shop Target instead, since it's still about the size of the old walmart store. You can get too big, and they did, for us.