Walgreens, CVS Close More Locations, Start Tmrw, RX Chains Mass Shutdns, Grocers: Retail Apocalypse

[bucolic_frolic]

1. I went to a major shopping mall recently

Only Macy's and Penney's remain. The mall is 1/2 empty. More retailers have left, Victoria's Secret being the most prominent name still open. Penney's, last I checked, is owned by a couple of Commercial Real Estate firms that own the malls Penney's is in. So they're subsidizing it to keep the mall open.

The Big Box stores open and close, sometimes moving a few stores down the strip. A lot of money to move a store. Hope it's worthwhile.

Retail is where products go to die. Anything worthwhile is online in some warehouse. Kohl's in my area is the remaining retailer with any enthusiasm going on. They've managed to keep prices up, have sane closeout sales, and retain normal retail hours.

There's a venture capital firm in the Philly area doing big business converting retail and office space to flexible manufacturing space. They do the refurb, zoning, compartmentalization and rent to companies needing quick space or small space with lower costs than building new. We are reclaiming manufacture in the U.S.A.!