What will become of Manhattan without its department stores??

[BPfan81]

Posted: 10/1/18 at 8:14pm

Am I the only one who feels nervous about a world without department stores?? Especially in Manhattan? Lord & Taylor is the next department store that they are pulling the plug on. I almost cried when I heard my favorite store, Henri Bendal, will be gone too at the end of 2018.

Will Fifth Avenue become deserted? What's going to happen to these flagship store buildings? And no malls in suburbia? The idea of not having a physical store to go to and feel, see, touch, try on clothes, perfume, makeup, etc, is becoming the new reality. And the thought seems scary to me (coming from me - a family-owned small business.) Anyone share the same sentiments? Thoughts? 

[sabrelady]

Posted: 10/1/18 at 8:22pm

Condos Starbucks and Whole Foods.

 I'm amazed Macy's conts to hold on.

[BPfan81]

Posted: 10/1/18 at 9:38pm

[bwaylyric]

Posted: 10/1/18 at 11:11pm

More banks, Duane Reades, CVSs, and Chipotles. 

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 10/1/18 at 11:31pm

Turn them into theatres!

[UncleCharlie]

Posted: 10/2/18 at 12:15am

What will become of Manhattan? This...

[RippedMan]

Posted: 10/2/18 at 12:32am

The world is expensive. If I can get the same shirt/shorts/shoes etc cheaper online, I'm giong to go there. That's just how it is. It sucks and those buildings are gorgeous and I hope they're used for something, but what, I'm not sure. 

[Broadway Joe]

Posted: 10/2/18 at 12:36am

I haven't done any department store shopping in over a decade. Don't miss any of it and never care to ever do it again. Being able to order stuff online and not waste my time in a store is a blessing.

Updated On: 10/2/18 at 12:36 AM

[dramamama611]

Posted: 10/2/18 at 5:29am

The truth is that if more people felt as you do, they wouldn't need to close.

My personal thoughts echo Broadway Joe and Ripped Man. Add to that,
I stopped enjoying shopping when customer service went out the window.

Also we live in an increasing non human world of interaction. And we're being trained to love it. I order dinner from an app and barely need to say thank you. I order groceries online. I use Amazon as my first line of defense.

[Melissa25]

Posted: 10/2/18 at 6:30am

Lord and Taylor was my go to store when I lived in Manhattan.  Only 2 Christmas windows planned for this year.

The building sold for $850 million and will become a WeWork space in 2019.

Lord and Taylor will have a shop on Walmart.com.

 

[Armie3]

Posted: 10/2/18 at 10:27am

I can not support amazon until they pay appropriate federal tax.

Jeff Bezos actually tweeted for ideas on how to spend all his spare trillions philanthropically...and then expects to be lauded it for it...if you want to do some good, how 'bout you pay your fair share of taxes, asshat?

Also they treat their workers like **** and contribute to the gradual erosion of human dignity.

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 10/2/18 at 11:55am

Tbh. I wouldn’t worry. Department stores may not be popular millennials. But gen xers, like myself, LOVE the malls and department stores. I’m sure they’ll come into fashion like vinyl and polaroids have.

[Kad]

Posted: 10/2/18 at 11:59am

At the end of the day, these are just retailers that came along in a time when it was a major innovation and convenience to have so many varied goods in one space... but time has marched on. As long as their beautiful and iconic buildings can be preserved, I'm not sure what we as a culture lose when they close.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 10/3/18 at 1:18pm

Also they treat their workers like **** and contribute to the gradual erosion of human dignity.

That is hardly unique to Amazon.  You've described 95% of retailers in the US.

But gen xers, like myself, LOVE the malls and department stores.

You're Gen-X?!?!  I'm Gen-X and I turn 49 this month.

As for the department stores, they may be going out of fashion, but storefronts of hundreds of retailers still do very well and continue to run and pop up in every major metropolitan area.  Millions of people still enjoy the live shopping experience.  Even the Amazon Store in Chicago is a hit and the new Amazon Go store is near my office and packed during lunchtime every day, so even Amazon recognizes the continued desire for live shopping experiences.  

Ever since Marshall Fields was purchased by the May company and became Macy's the entire store has drastically dropped in quality in every way.  The merchandise is meh, customer service is practically irrelevant because the staff has been reduced so much, it's difficult to find them.  Maintenance of the floors is bare bones and generally, nothing gets updated.  Every time I pass by the men's clearance section, it looks like a demilitarized war zone.  TJ Maxx looks like Nieman Marcus by comparison.  It's only a matter of time until it goes the way of its rival and neighbor, Carson Pirie Scott, and eventually turns into a Wal-Mart.

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 10/3/18 at 2:43pm

Mis typed I’m gen z

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 10/3/18 at 9:03pm

Oh, that's too bad. I thought I had suddenly become 25 years younger.

[BPfan81]

Posted: 10/3/18 at 9:47pm

Well, aside from the shopping experience (trying clothes, seeing/touching/feeling), I still think getting rid of physical stores is wrong. The human interaction we we exchange from face to face dealings is very important. We are embracing a way of life that will completely eliminate human interaction and that should frighten us all. The idea that every interaction from now on will be done from an 'app' or a press of a button is not something that should be preferred. That scares me personally. I think it will be detrimental to society's mental health - there will be many lonely people in the world who will not have friends or even know how to socialize in a public setting. I don't mean to sound dramatic or extreme, or change the subject...

[UncleCharlie]

Posted: 10/4/18 at 3:02am

BPfan81 said: "Well, aside from the shopping experience (trying clothes, seeing/touching/feeling), I still think getting rid of physical stores is wrong. The human interaction we we exchange from face to face dealings is very important. We are embracing a way of life that will completely eliminate human interaction and that should frighten us all. The idea that every interaction from now on will be done from an 'app' or a press of a button is not something that should be preferred. That scares me personally. I think it will be detrimental to society's mental health - there will be many lonely people in the world who will not have friends or even know how to socialize in a public setting. I don't mean to sound dramatic or extreme, or change the subject..."

No offense but I think you're overreacting to an utterly ridiculous level. Just because one or two stores are closing is not the harbinger of the end of human interaction or even the end of bricks and mortar retail. I mean how do you even reasonably come to that conclusion?. Department stores run through cycles. Some close and others open. We've had department stores closing for the past 30-40 years in New York and retail is still alive in 2018. Stores like Gimbels, Bambergers, Abraham & Strauss, Korvettes, Ohrbachs and Alexanders were all iconic New York department stores and all have come and gone and we have survived. Not only is Fifth Avenue not becoming a deserted wasteland, new flagship stores seem to be opening all the time. Some suburban malls are thriving, some are doing poorly. Lots of reasons for both. Most outlet malls are usually crowded and doing well. As far as human interaction is concerned, we have restaurants, sporting events, movies, theaters, concerts, hotels, gyms and on and on. I'm sorry one or two of your favorite stores are closing. it's a bummer when a store you like closes. My go to Chinese take out closed caused the owners retired after 35 years. I was bummed. I get it. But I didn't think it was signally the coming nuclear winter where we are all huddled anonymously in our homes never to interact with each other again. Life will go on.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 10/4/18 at 12:02pm

The department stores have done it to themselves. When I shop in stores, I regularly can't find the color or size I'm looking for and the clerks tell me that I can find it online. Now I just go online and find exactly what I want.

[uncageg]

Posted: 10/7/18 at 2:41pm

Dollypop said: "The department stores have done it to themselves. When I shop in stores, I regularly can't find the color or size I'm looking for and the clerks tell me that I can find it online. Now I just go online and find exactly what I want."

I have had the same happen to me. Last time at the Gap on 34th, I was looking for a size extra large shirt and the clerk, who wore extra lage (he told me), said they only sell extra large shirts online. I am not actually an extra large size but I like looser fitting shirts and I give room for shrinkage. I was actually a bit offended. It was kind of like size shaming!

I have only bought two clothing items online. One was fine, the other was the "size" I wanted but in slim fit. Which was not mentioned onlince in the descriprion. I realized it after receiving the shirt.

I much rather go into a store to try on and buy my clothes. And belts!

 

[ArtMan]

Posted: 10/7/18 at 4:43pm

Customer service has been extinct in the service industry for years.  Your lucky that the clerk knew what a XL size was.  You can blame it on the floor help, but the supervisors and managers are just as bad.  I was in a Barnes & Nobles last week and the clerk did not know how to work their own in store inventory on the computer.  I had to spell her the name of the title.  She kept insisting they didn't carry it, when the title didn't come up. (I knew they carried it)  I finally looked over her shoulder at the screen to find that she spelled it wrong.  When I brought it to her attention, she just played with her hair.  She wasn't a kid either, at least 40.

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 10/7/18 at 8:58pm

uncageg said: "Dollypop said: "The department stores have done it to themselves. When I shop in stores, I regularly can't find the color or size I'm looking for and the clerks tell me that I can find it online. Now I just go online and find exactly what I want."

I have had the same happen to me. Last time at the Gap on 34th,I was looking for a size extra large shirt and the clerk, who wore extra lage (he told me), said they only sell extra large shirts online. I am not actually an extra large size but I like looser fitting shirts and I give room for shrinkage. I was actually a bit offended. It was kind of like size shaming!

I have only bought two clothing items online. One was fine, the other was the "size" I wanted but in slim fit. Which was not mentioned onlince in the descriprion. I realized it after receiving the shirt.

I much rather go into a store to try on and buy my clothes. And belts!"

Unless that clerk thought you said extra-extra-large then he flat out lied to you to get you to leave him alone, since I regularly buy XL shirts there with no problem.

[Platypus]

Posted: 10/7/18 at 11:16pm

GAP seems to want you to shop online rather than in store, since prices are consistently cheaper online. There is at least 40% off online almost every day (at least on the Canadian website, can't speak for others), which does not happen in the stores. With free delivery and returns, why would I spend time travelling to a store, only to pay more, and half the time not even find the size or colour that I want?  

[Armie3]

Posted: 10/8/18 at 7:51am

 You've described 95% of retailers in the US.
 

Sure, that may be true - but I guess Amazon are uniquely evil in the way they seek to monopolize everything they touch. They are way too powerful.

[uncageg]

Posted: 10/8/18 at 9:39pm

My Gap experience happened about 5 years ago. It was the first time I had been in one for years. So don't know if he was lying or not.