While many Americans know the Whole Foods brand, there are only about 450 locations nationwide, a fraction of the number of stores held by national retailers like Walmart, Kroger, or Target. Amazon’s purchase of Whole Foods is expected to help grow the supermarket chain’s footprint — which would help Amazon’s food delivery business — but some competitors have realized they can use the fine print in their real estate contracts to undercut Amazon’s Whole Foods hopes. [More]
malls
How Malls & Big Box Stores Are Using Real Estate Contracts To Stall Amazon’s Whole Foods Expansion
By 10.24.17
Get Ready For More Sketchy Seasonal Stores As Retail Vacancies Rise
By 10.3.17
If you’re a fan of those stores that come out of nowhere to sell a lot of Halloween costumes and Christmas ornaments only to be gone without a trace once a holiday passes, we’ve got great news for you! A decade-high level of retail bankruptcies and store closures means there’s still plenty of spaces at your local shopping centers for all manner of seasonal pop-up stores. [More]
Disney Testing Immersive Theme Park Infomercials In Some Stores
By 9.26.17
The majority of Americans don’t live within driving distance of a Disney theme park, but they do live within driving distance of a mall. That’s why Disney is experimenting with a new store concept in six of its 340 mall stores. A central feature of these stores is a large video screen where aspiring Mouseketeers can watch a live feed of the daily parade down Disneyland’s Main Street. [More]
Vitamin World Files For Bankruptcy, Closing 51 Stores
By 9.12.17
The decrease in foot traffic to malls claimed yet another victim: Vitamin World has filed for bankruptcy and outlined plans to close dozens of stores. [More]
Uber, Mall Team Up To Offer Dedicated Pickup Spots, Human Customer Service Reps
By 8.31.17
In a move designed to lure shoppers back to brick-and-mortar stores, mall giant Westfield is patterning up with Uber to offer dedicated drop-off and pick-up spots in 33 shopping centers — and some will feature real live humans to help with customer service. [More]
Payless ShoeSource Will Emerge From Bankruptcy This Week
By 8.9.17
Congratulations to Payless ShoeSource, the nation’s #1 source of light-up sneakers with Disney characters on them. The chain has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy during the current retail apocalypse that has survived the process without closing all of its stores and going out of business. [More]
Why Are New Malls Being Built During A Retail Apocalypse?
By 8.8.17
With a record number of recent retail bankruptcies, and national waves of store closings, how is it that there are more malls being built or expanded? Construction on shopping centers and even on enclosed malls is at its highest level since the summer of 2008. Are real estate developers in denial? [More]
Starbucks Closing All Teavana Stores
By 7.28.17
It was almost five years ago that Starbucks paid $620 million to acquire mall tea chain Teavana, politely declining the $800 million tea tin upsell. While Teavana products are now for sale in every Starbucks cafe, including fruit-infused iced teas, the company announced this week that it will be closing the remaining Teavana retail stores over the coming year. [More]
Mall Owners Try Makeovers To Attract Customers Back
By 7.5.17
Americans still go to malls, but they aren’t shopping as much as they used to. Mall landlords have been able to replace vacancies left by failing stores with everything from restaurants to supermarkets to rock climbing gyms. While these new tenants might be paying higher rents, this transition is coming at a significant cost to mall owners. [More]
As America’s Malls Wither, Medical Facilities Move In
By 6.19.17
If you’re looking to open a new medical facility — not just a couple of exam rooms and a reception area, but a proper clinic — you want something affordable, spacious, brightly lit, with good parking, and a central, convenient location. Thanks to the ongoing retail apocalypse, there are dead or dying malls around the country that fit this bill. [More]
Owner of Ann Taylor, dressbarn, Lane Bryant, Maurices Could Close Up To 650 Stores
By 6.9.17
You may not know the name Ascena Retail Group, but you know the stores it owns, like Ann Taylor, dressbarn, Lane Bryant, Maurices, among others. Many of these stores could soon be closing if Ascena follows through on its proposal to shutter as many as 650 locations. [More]
Consumerist Friday Flickr Finds
By 5.19.17 — Updated: 5.25.17
Here are six of the best photos that readers added to the Consumerist Flickr Pool in the last week, picked for usability in a Consumerist post or for just plain neatness. [More]
Rue21 Officially Becomes Latest Retailer To File For Bankruptcy
By 5.16.17
Teen-targeted retailer rue21, which had already announced plans to close 400 stores and shift its focus to its website, has become the latest retail chain to file for bankruptcy, though it hopes to remain operational. [More]
Mallgoers Would Rather Deal With Pigeon Poop Than Noisy Bird Call Recordings
By 4.28.17
Although music to shop by isn’t going to please everyone, shoppers at one New York mall would rather risk getting hit by bird droppings than listen to the sounds coming out of the complex’s speakers. [More]
Bebe To Close All 180 Stores; Future Plans Uncertain
By 4.21.17
The rumors that women’s clothing retailer bebe might exit the mall and go online-only were apparently true, as the company has announced plans to shutter all 180 of its stores this spring. [More]
Department Store Departures Will Be Good For Malls In The Long Run
By 4.20.17
While the nationwide retail apocalypse has led to lost jobs and terrible liquidation sales, there’s one piece of good news for consumers and for the companies that own malls. As old-fashioned anchors like Sears and JCPenney move out, more diverse stores, restaurants, and entertainment venues are moving in, and they’re paying much higher rents. [More]
What Killed The Malls Of The ’70s & ’80s? Newer, Better Malls, Not Amazon
By 4.18.17
Why are American malls dying? Conventional wisdom often points the finger of blame at Amazon and a desire for shopping from home in your pajamas, but a new analysis claims that the real culprit is competition from newer, better malls that aren’t feeling the same pain as their withering forefathers. [More]
Rue21 Closing 400 Stores, Focusing On Online Sales
By 4.17.17
Teen retailer Rue21, which has been the subject of recent bankruptcy rumors, has decided to shutter 400 stores and put more of its attention to online sales. [More]
