Going Out of Business

Do these names mean anything to you? Zayre. Western Auto. Woolworth’s.

For many of us, those names bring back fond memories of the stores of our youth. Some were downtown, others were on busy highways, and the rest were in malls.

K-Mart, Radio Shack, and Sears have faded as well. Many of these stores have already closed several locations, and they’re never coming back. JC Penney, Pier 1, The Gap, Macy’s, Kohl’s and others have also shut down numerous stores.

It’s not uncommon to see abandoned or half-empty malls that were buzzing with people a few years ago. Are these malls going the way of the typewriter, the telegraph, and the rotary phone?

Those of us who grew up in rural areas eagerly anticipated our occasional visits to a big department store like Zayre. The one nearest me (30 miles away) was in downtown Chattanooga. Zayre had everything, or so it seemed. One trip, and your Christmas shopping was done. Then one day, Zayre went away.

We also looked forward to the Sears catalog, every season of the year. Now every website is a virtual catalog.

Considering how quickly the Internet changed our lives, I’m surprised we have as many “brick and mortar” stores as we do. The fear of violence keeps many Americans out of public shopping areas. People who traditionally jammed the mall the day after Thanksgiving now begin their Christmas shopping online whenever they wish.

Certainly, there are still plenty of folks who enjoy the mall. We love the Easter Bunny, a chance to put our screaming baby on Santa’s lap, and free samples at the Food Court. It’s a great place to walk, and as any bored husband will tell you, the people-watching isn’t bad while waiting for the wife to finish shopping.

But Amazon and other online retailers have wreaked havoc on the malls. You want to buy something in the middle of the night? You can do it in your pajamas with the click of a mouse. The stores don’t keep your size in stock? Those odd sized pants are all over the web. Worried about shipping charges? “Buy just one more item, and we’ll ship for free!”

Everywhere you look on the web, there’s an offer you can’t refuse. There are no traffic jams, no long lines, and every counter is open.

It’s hard to find that kind of selection and service at department stores. In recent years, they’ve been forced to lay off workers. We want to do business with them, and we want them to succeed. But it seems like only one counter is open, and many of the clothing shelves look like they’ve been hit by a dust storm.

Just recently, two of my favorite neighborhood stores announced their “Going out of Business” sales. Best Buy, my go-to for everything electronic is closing a local store. Bed, Bath and Beyond is doing the same. The entire company is pretty much Bed, Bath, and Bankrupt.

Neither is in a mall, so that’s not the problem. In the case of Best Buy, some shoppers complained that the store’s selection had narrowed, and that the actual “best buys” were found elsewhere. “I only use Best Buy as a place to see something in person before I buy it online,” one friend told me.

Shoppers also referred to the other store as “Bed, Bath, and Beyond my Budget.” Again, it’s hard to ignore the low prices of online retailers with little or no overhead, although it’s creepy when an ad pops up based on something you searched for yesterday.

You may have noticed I haven’t mentioned Walmart. They provide a lot of jobs, a huge selection, and some genuine bargains, but at what cost? How many retailers have struggled, and then failed, to compete with Walmart? And what happens if Walmart is the last store standing? Can the stores currently “on the ropes” survive another ten years? When competition is diminished, prices go up, and the quality of service goes down.

Times change, and we have to adjust. But I’ll bet I’m not the only one who gets a little sad when yet another store closes its doors for the last time.