Store closings: Who are the biggest victims of the retail apocalypse

[redqueen]

...
McClaughlin, 47, says she is left with plenty of questions about what happened to Payless – as well as the entire retail sector, which has been hit by 75,000 announced job losses from the start of 2019 through November, according to data from outplacement firm Challenger Gray & Christmas.

In her view, few policymakers focus on the job losses in the retail industry, which have an outsize impact on the female workers who sit behind cash registers and interact with customers in apparel stores such as Payless.

“Ninety percent of the time," the workers "were all women in my store,” McClaughlin says. “You lose your job after 20 years, and it’s like, ‘Who cares?’ ”

The bankrupt footwear retailer accounts for the largest number of store closings in 2019 with more than 2,500. Nationwide, more than 9,200 store closings were announced this year, 59% higher than in 2018, according to global marketing research firm Coresight Research.
...
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/store-closings-biggest-victims-retail-050103815.html

[Sherman A1]

1. K&R

Thanks for posting.

[CaptYossarian]

2. A lot of the stores that closed are discount stores. It's also the

consumers who are poor who bit the big one, not just employees.

WalMart has been predatory, going after the traditional "Mom and Pop" businesses that used to thrive. I avoid those greedy, anti-union bastards like the plague.

I also blame places like Amazon. People are too lazy to get off their asses and walk through an actual building. The original post is right about demographics, but overall it's the loss of local jobs for all genders that have left smaller communities reeling. Where are people supposed to work--if not locally? If you have no car or an unreliable one, you will have a much harder time getting employment. And you're just supposed to find an Amazon warehouse in all communities like you would a store?

A lot of this started with Mitt and Bain Capital and has gotten worse. Romney's another greedy bastard (who eliminated KayBee Toys and then wanted to take Sesame Street off the air as president). Yeah, he's thinking about the children all right. Luckily, his choice for Veep was as big an ass as he was.

[redqueen]

5. They discuss the role of private equity in these closures.

Something needs to be done they are walmartizing all of retail. There will be high end for the rich, and Walmart and dollar general for the rest of us.

[CaptYossarian]

6. We truly need $15/hour min wage for these employees. And that's just a start.

I don't recognize this country anymore.

[redqueen]

7. You mean all the people laid off from retail jobs?

They aren't employees anymore.

I doubt they'll find jobs paying as much as they were making before. That seems to be the trend.

[CaptYossarian]

9. I meant for those who are employed.

We need a redistribution of wealth.

[Recursion]

11. WalMart pays $13 and will probably move up to $15 like Amazon did

I know we mythologized mom & pop stores but it's not like they offered good pay or benefits, you know? WalMart is at least making their wages increase rather than paying people as little as legally possible like family stores tend to.

[OhioBlue]

12. The mom and pops used to offer good pay and benefits

and some still do for higher level employees. I worked at a local mom and pop hardware store in College in the early 90s. As a seasonal employee, I made slightly over minimum wage and no benefits, of course. However, the regular, full-time employees all had health insurance and retirement and competitive wages with annual reviews and raises. One of the owners talked to me about the difficulty in competing with Wal Mart that at the time could sell a toaster cheaper than the hardware store could purchase it because Wal Mart forced their supplier to outsource and forgo quality for price. Wal Mart had a business model in which they forced their suppliers to make cheaper products with shorter life spans and encouraged outsourcing.

Mom and pops are also closer to their employees. They know them, know their families and care about them. They live in the communities they serve and donate to local causes, sponsor youth sports, etc.

[Recursion]

13. Most of the ones I knew relied on unpaid family labor

And paid minimum wage to everybody else. Small businesses are usually awful to work for.

[Johnny2X2X]

23. This is my experience too

The Romanticization of Small Businesses is a long tradition. At one time, small businesses provided good jobs, that era is long gone though.

Most (Not all) small business owners are greedy and pay less than larger companies. There's an attitude among many small business owners that they get to be a millionaire for owning a small business. I've seen so many small business owners that live in beautiful lake houses with 6 stall garages while they pay their workers starvation wages with almost no benefits.

A living minimum wage is needed. The exploitation of labor even at a local level is out of control in this country. The scales need to be evened.

[LeftInTX]

15. In miss our local hardware store

I live in a city of 1.4 million people. I do not believe that we have any hardware stores left.

I would think they could keep at least one open. We have a pest supply warehouse. It's a very small mom and pop business. It consists of a 500 foot sales area and a garage size storage unit. It's the only pest supply in town and I drive 30 miles and back because they carry professional products that I can't buy anywhere else. If there was one hardware in town, I think they would do good business.

[Raftergirl]

19. Interesting

I live in a suburb of about 28k people. We have a Lowe’s and a Walmart - but we also have 2 independent hardware stores. They have been here since I moved here 29 years ago. Parking lots are always filled when I go there.

We also have a lovely town center with an independent coffee shop, independent book store, several restaurants, an independent grocery store, gift shops, etc. Less than a mile from the town center down the same road we have Dunkin Donuts and other chain stores/restaurants but also many independents stores and restaurants.

[CaptYossarian]

18. And I thought all the Walton family spare change went to Republican candidates' campaign war chests.

That kinda explains their failures in 2018, doesn't it? They trickled-down a little more than in the past.

I still won't go there. I'm a Target guy (since losing local KMarts and ALL Shopkos). Target was owned by a Democrat, Mark Dayton. That's where my loyalty is.

[Initech]

26. We also need to start regulating and policing hedge fund managers.

They're largely responsible for a good majority of the retail apocalypse in the last few years.

[CaptYossarian]

27. Anyone who benefits through the suffering of others should be stomped on like roaches.

[Initech]

29. Oh fo sho!

[Kaleva]

10. I guess it's safe to assume you only go to full service gas stations and avoid self serve stations.

Wouldn't want some to accuse you of costing other people their jobs.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

16. What's a "full-service" gas station?

The 1960s are long gone.

Maybe in New Jersey ...

[Kaleva]

20. They are around. Some states require them.

I live in rural Michigan and there's a full service station about 45 miles from me. Even though gas is more expensive, it's popular enough with elderly and some disabled to stay in business.

I get a kick out of folks who bitch about others shopping at Amazon or Walmart when they themselves don't want to spend extra to support local jobs or businesses. there's a word that describes such people very well.

[MrsCoffee]

22. In Oregon you aren't even allowed to pump your own gas.

Still remember getting yelled at for getting out of my car and heading to the pump.

[CaptYossarian]

17. I haven't driven in 2 years. And in 2017, I got to drive in Oct & Nov.

Before those 2 months, it had been 4 years since I had driven.

Too many health scares, multiple surgeries, and 1 leg amp. I'll get out there again later this new year after months of P/T and a newer user-friendly prosthetic.

I'm concerned about jobs because I was laid off in 2009 with hordes of others and then got deathly ill. I'm not done though. After I'm driving, I'll be doing more work again. So it's not about me being a dinosaur. I care about people.

[Kaleva]

21. Okay. Apologise for my attitude.

I'm disabled too and driving to town, it's a 90 mile round trip, and walking around stores can do a number on me. Shopping on line is a blessing.

[CaptYossarian]

24. I was always about my freedom, which is why it was taken from me.

No need to apologize. On this site, we exchange ideas--sometimes conflicting--but in a mostly friendly way. I was recently schooled by MarbleFalls for being too flippant on a very serious topic. He and I worked it out. You and I are good.

Let's have a happy and healthy new year.

[Demovictory9]

3. female cashiers but the truckers, suppliers, maintenance, janitors, managers???

[redqueen]

4. They talk about this in the article.

Retail is still creating jobs for warehouse and delivery positions, primarily male dominated roles.

[Demovictory9]

8. true but my Amazon, target, etc. delivery person is sometimes female

[Recursion]

14. Nobody makes speeches about bringing back typing pool jobs or switchboard jobs

The gendered aspect of what labor we think is "good" is considerable

[Initech]

25. Payless, Toys R Us, and Sears all got Bain'd.

[CaptYossarian]

28. Mitt happens.