Shoppers Predict Retail Stores in Danger
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Have you entered a retailer's store lately and wondered how they are staying in business? Maybe it was the lack of fellow shoppers or the state of the store's displays that made you think the store was in trouble. We asked AOL users to tell us which stores they would not be surprised to see shut their doors for good. We culled through over 5,000 responses and came up with these common and/or interesting observations.
First Slide: Starbucks -
AP
Starbucks
"It used to be a hunt to find a Starbucks and enjoy a cup of your favorite. But now there is one on every corner. We have 4 in less than a mile of each other and 2 are drive-thrus. They expanded too fast and have too many stores. It has been a good year since I bought a Starbucks product. Fewer is better."
"Paying less is better without a doubt. For God's Sake, it is just coffee. It is something that I enjoy... but back to reality. Does anyone really think it is that much better than a home brewed with a shot of flavoring in it?"
Next: Kmart -
AP
Kmart
"Even before you enter the store, you notice the great number of available parking positions on the lot. When you enter the store, you quickly notice the lack of air conditioning. The shelves are depleted, retail help is non-existent, and the housekeeping in the store leaves you wondering why you entered the store in the first place."
Next: Sears -
AP
Sears
"Everytime I go to Sears, big stores, lots of merchandise... no buyers, just lookers."
"Both great stores, but they never have any customers! In our town every place else will be booming, with no where to park, but K-mart and Sears look lonely and sparse. What's the answer? They are good stores!"
Next: Office Depot -
AP
Office Depot
"Have you been in an Office Depot lately? They are trying to conserve money by not turning on their lights for the first hour of the day."
Next: Circuit City -
AP
Circuit City
"The Circuit City stores in my area around Boston don't look as healthy as they once did. There seems to be a lack of personnel and somewhat less merchandise to choose from."
Next: Dillard's -
AP
Dillard's
"They have very poor sales and no salespersons available on any floor during 12-1pm and 5-7pm."
Next: The Gap -
AP
The Gap
"Their customer service is horrendous, and they have lost their customer base with uninspired clothing. I was always a loyal Gap shopper and a former employee, but have not shopped there in years."
"I used to love the Gap, for all my basic clothing. I find the quality has gotten very poor over the last several years. I only stop in occasionally and buy sale items."
Next: Hallmark -
AP
Hallmark
"I never see a crowd in Hallmark stores any more. Perhaps there are too many cards in Walmart, Target, grocery stores and everywhere else."
Next: Wilson's Leather -
Wilson's Leather
"I never see anyone in there. I was in there the other day and about all they had were a few purses."
Next: Linens 'N Things -
Seamas Culligan, ZUMA Press
Linens 'N Things
"That store has gone downhill in the last 2 1/2 years. The shelves are empty, the product is bad... They don't answer their rebate claims."
"How a retailer can offer basically the same stuff as Bed, Bath & Beyond and operate so differently is beyond me. L&T is lazy, sloppy, rude, arrogant, overpriced, and the BB&B is at the opposite end of my same local strip. To verify a sale price I had a BB&B manager walk up and offer to help. I had to hunt for a floor person at L&T and she talked down to me."
Next: BJ's -
AP
BJ's
"Here in Tampa the BJ stores are almost empty."
"Here in south central PA I don't see that many customers either."
Next: Victoria's Secret -
Victoria's Secret
"Victoria's Secret's quality has really changed. After ordering and returning a few items, they are no longer on my list of shopping. That's too bad, I used to love to order from them. They'll be next in line!"
"I agree -- their customer service and quality are the pits lately. It used to be a fun place to shop."
Next: Mervyn's -
AP
Mervyn's
"The store is always a mess, clothes on floor and unfolded. Very few employees, you have to walk all over to look for help or to be rung up. Dressing rooms are hot, air conditioning has been broken for several years. I can't understand how the mananger and district manager keep their jobs, let alone how the store manages to stay open."
"Mervyn's has been in trouble for a long time. Their merchandise is of good quality, but overpriced."
Next: RadioShack -
AP
RadioShack
"What a dinosaur. Poor service, crappy selection and commissioned sales clerks that don't know anything."
"Has anyone bought anything from Radio Shack since the '80s? You want to talk about a store with product lines that need to be updated, it's gotta be them. How many people need a new rotary phone?"
Next: Albertsons -
AP
Albertsons
"Every day I pass an Albertsons, and I decided one Friday to shop there. Big mistake! The store I used to go to was practically empty. The same items I buy at Wal-Mart were anywhere from $0.50 to $2.00 higher in price. I couldn't believe it. I didn't buy much and ended up finishing my shopping the next day at Wal-Mart. Albertsons used to be my store. They have gotten overpriced."
Next: Old Navy -
Getty Images
Old Navy
"I visited my nearest Old Navy store last night, which I had not visited in about a year. I was in complete shock! The store had only a few customers, a serious lack of merchandise, and was in total disarray."
Next: The Bon Ton -
AP
The Bon Ton
"Hardly anyone ever in any of the Bon Ton stores in Rochester, NY."
Next: Boscov's -
Boscov's
Boscov's
"A mall near my home has a Boscov's -- while the store has many nice items and seems to be reasonably priced, they do not seem to be doing any real business. It would not suprise me to see this store close."
"I have to admit, Boscov's is no longer the store it once was. The items it sells are poor quality and way over-priced."
Next: The Children's Place -
The Children's Place
"I would not be suprised if The Children's Place closed its doors. A friend of mine who works for The Children's Place has been there for 3 years and she said that they are no longer giving employees raises. What kind of nonsense is that? Plus she said they are doing a lot of cutbacks. What makes employers think they can treat employees so awful?"
Next: Ross -
Ross
"Ross has gone down hill over the past couple of years. The stores are messy and dirty... The lines are too long and there are too many kids running around unsupervised by parents. It is no longer a fun experience."
"I live in Atlanta but travel the U.S. on business. I agree that most Ross stores are dirty and messy."
Next: JCPenney -
AP
JCPenney
"Have you ever heard of a nickel and dime store? Well, JCPenney fits this category with its cheap quality merchandise. Gone are the days of top lines in Jones of New York and Sag Harbor clothing; the buyers are selecting stuff from the bottom of the barrel and putting a hefty price tag on it. JCP spends more on advertising than its stores. The displays are unattractive and junky; also, staff is far and few between. It's a sign of the times for downsizing and closing this store. Watch and see!"
Next: Blockbuster -
AP
Blockbuster
"Very poor selection. Have cut back on foreign films. Big swaths of empty racks in the store I go to. Why stock 200 copies of a new release and none of the 4 others released the same day? Makes no sense at all. I often find that the local library either has or can get copies of movies I want to see. Wake up, Blockbuster. You are not long for this world."
Next: Things Remembered -
Things Remembered
"Can't honestly say that I've seen any of them go under, but I've always wondered how they manage to stay in business. There's virtually no customers in there whenever I go into one."
"Walked in to a Things Remembered store and was completely shocked... shelves bare and merchandise bulk stacked for quick sale!"
Next: Rite Aid -
AP
Rite Aid
"I went to a very busy Rite Aid to get a prescription refilled, but a hand written sign on the door stated that the pharmacy would be closed for 3 days. The biggest profit center in the store and they close it for 3 days sending thousands of dollars to the competition. Does CEO Sammons really know what is going on in the stores?"
"The Rite Aid store in my town should close. It is a dump -- there are never any cars or customers there. The stock on the shelves looks like it has been there for years."
Next: Pep Boys -
AP
Pep Boys
"Pep Boys is getting worse. Last time I went to Pep Boys, all they had was junk. And as usual, they didn't have the part I was looking for."
"They've already closed several stores and continue to cut back on help and products."
Next: Staples -
AP
Staples
"I was in the Staples in Barrington, IL a couple of nights ago and was the only customer for about 20 minutes. Employees kept wandering around the store with nothing to do except hound me with offers of assistance. I couldn't get out of there fast enough."
Next: Michaels -
AP
Michaels
"Over the past several years I have noticed a serious decline in Michael's at their 3 stores in my area. Merchandise is way overpriced vs. quality. A lot more 'junk' instead of 'craft' items. Stores feel crowded, claustrophobic. Hard to find anyone to assist should you have a craft-specific question. Too many items constantly 'on sale.' The 'sales' are a joke; prices are intentionally inflated so they can say they are 'on sale.'"
Next: Pier 1 -
Donna McWilliam, AP
Pier 1
"Target and Bed, Bath & Beyond are Pier 1's biggest competitors; however, you do get more personal service in Pier 1 vs. the others. Pier 1 has had to discontinue catalog orders, an effective website (major) and gift registries... I worked for this company for 6 years, saw lots of change, but not much for the benefit."
"Merchandise is crap, stores look like a bargain basement, and way over priced for the quality of merchandise."
Next: Rack Room Shoes -
Rack Room Shoes
"I worked for Rack Room Shoes until September 2007 which has about 400 stores in the United States. They were down like $5 million in 2007, and have done everything to cut costs, including cutting payroll, but the stores are still down. It's been said that they will close at least 50 under-performing stores in 2008 or 2009."
Next: Nine West -
AP
Nine West
"They closed their store in our mall. It isn't a surprise, they never had any customers. Besides, why do you need a Nine West store when Macy's is just down the hall selling Nine West merch?"
Next: Jo-Ann Stores -
Jo-Ann Stores
"The JoAnn's store in Duluth, GA has been declining for a couple of years. Stores in its vicinity have already closed. Hardly any merchandise being added. Fewer and fewer customers. Dimmer lighting. Yet, when employees are asked, they indicate they have heard nothing about a closing. If this store were a person, one look would tell you it is terminal. So sad."
Next: Borders