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Friday, February 15, 2019

"No Light At The End Of The Tunnel" As New Wave Of Retail Stores Close

Another economic red flag has appeared and its the closure of retail stores. According to a new report detailing the precarious situation of the current economy, there is “no light at the end of the tunnel” as the closure of brick and mortar stores will continue.
Coresight Research released an outlook of 2019 store closures Wednesday, saying, there’s “no light at the end of the tunnel,”according to several reports, including one from Yahoo News. According to the global market research firm’s report, a mere six weeks into 2019, United States retailers have announced 2,187 closings of physical stores. That’s up 23 percent compared to last year. Those closings include 749 Gymboree stores, 251 Shopko store, and 94 Charlotte Russe locations.

This may not seem like such a big deal especially if you don’t often shop, but it’s a red flag for the overall economy. Either customers/consumers now have less money and aren’t willing to borrow (use credit cards) to spend at stores anymore, or they are already maxed out and cannot spend. Another issue could be the overbearing regulations and burdensome theft (taxation) levied on business. It could be a combination of all of those as well, making the cost of keeping a brick and mortar store open no longer worth it.

But reports and the media blame the growth of online sales, rising interest rates, and declining sales. Bankruptcies also are continuing at a rapid pace “with the number of filings in the first six weeks of 2019 already at one-third of last year’s total,” the report states. That means companies have taken on more debt than they can handle, and much like individuals, when that happens, it is likely the beginning of some very rough times ahead. And debt is a major concern right now for most economists. Consumer debt, student loan debt, auto debt, and the national debt has all reached historic records – and that isn’t a positive sign for the economy.

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7 comments:

Anonymous said...

the economy isn't so great. wages are stagnant and jobs are non existent. there is very little money left at the end of the month to spend on crap.

online shopping is a joke. a lot of what I used to buy online (groceries) from walmart isn't available any more either. selections have dwindled

gas prices have jacked up 10 cents overnight.
home heating oil is nearing $3 a gallon again.

Drug prices also went up.

There is no getting ahead.

Anonymous said...

I believe it is on-line shopping. Amazon ring a bell.

Anonymous said...

Blah blah blah. Retail changes like weather. Always has. These research people like to over think everything.

Anonymous said...

I think some of these retail stores have simply run their course. Who would shop at CR when they can go to Marshall’s. I wonder how relevant CRs designs/styles are these days, too and they may have difficulty finding a buyer because of mall locations - something that brick and mortar shoppers are choosing less frequently. Gymboree is the outlier...withe great quality, wonderful employees, and styles that mom’s and kids really like. Not sure if there was a private equity influence there like Rous R Us or not. Gymboree is having a fantastic closing sale now, so if you’ve loved that store stop in, say something thoughtful to the employees who have served you faithfully for years, and maybe find a great (but sad) bargain

Anonymous said...

Kiosks at McDonalds. Enough said!

Anonymous said...

The conclusion is erroneous. The measure of the economy is consumer spending. The reality is that more $'s are spent online. Shoppers prefer the convenience. The result will be the continuing closure of brick and mortar shops. Its not necessarily a bad thing. Just like the change from horses to cars. A more efficient means to the end .

Anonymous said...

I have never heard of these stores mentioned. But there is several reasons why. INTERNET.
BAD NEIGHBORHOOD
PRODUCT
PRICE
Why don't they look at places like Boscovs?? JC PENNY? TRACTOR SUPPLY? WALMART? Stores who have a product's people want. For a price they can afford. In good areas that our safe for all. Has Internet access to shop and purchase.

Gotta love all the NEGATIVE NANCY out there. The sky is falling. AGAIN. LMAO