When the Maas Bros. department store chain went defunct in 1991, Burdines was there to replace it. In 2004, Burdines was wiped away as stores were converted to bear the Macy’s name.
But when the time comes, what will replace Macy’s? Probably not another department store.
Department store chains have defined the way Americans have shopped in traditional malls for decades. But in recent years, those household name brands have reported significant sales losses year over year, and they are shuttering stores faster than they’re opening them. Some experts say it’s because department stores are antiquated and they’re failing to keep up with the fickle demands of younger shoppers. Maybe that’s why fewer shopping centers are relying on traditional department stores to be the anchors they need to draw new customers these days.
Isn’t every day pretty much Cyber Monday nowadays?
A lot of the big retail names, from brick-and-mortar chains like Walmart and Best Buy to online companies like Amazon, offered Black Friday-like specials all weekend long online, starting on Thanksgiving and spanning into what has been traditionally known as “Cyber Monday,” or the Monday following Turkey Day.
With so many options of where to browse and shop on the Internet these days, is Cyber Monday really relevant anymore? This year is the 10th anniversary of Cyber Monday, which was coined by the National Retail Federation to create yet another promotional shopping holiday.
Ten years ago, online shopping wasn’t quite the animal it is now. Amazon can deliver goods to your house in an hour. You pick up groceries curbside at Walmart when you order online at some stores.
“People shop online all year round. Online shopping has become so much more than it was,” said Faith Hope Consolo, chairwoman of the Retail Group for Douglas Elliman Real Estate in New York City. “The lines are so blurred now. Some of the stores are trying to push Cyber Monday into the Sunday before.”
