Bait & Switch

Thanks seobro you make a good point and this only scratches the surface.

Retail stores are dying, the ones selling THINGS.

Just saw DRONES have been approved and regulated, first licenses to be issued soon. Once this phase ends, and they prove safe, they will be remotely piloted, right now, you have to be in line of sight.

Not too far away is an Amazon drone or Papa John's drone delivering your iphone or slices of pepperoni right to your door.

But how about right now? Let's profit and prosper, can we?

Retailers come and go, always have, but, not always will. Woolworths, Montgomery Ward, Zayre, Kresge, all doing well in the 60s and 70s are gone, along with many mentioned in the OP. Once BAM leaves the area, we will have no more bookstores to go to...

unless Amazon starts buying dying malls and converts them to Amazon distribution centers, one very likely scenario. The we have same day delivery for most everything, starting with small truck fleets, regional centers, district points...

Call in morning, get the new TV by lunch, wait 10 days for cable, and then wait again all day to get them to come, then call them next day etc. But the TV is there in a matter of hours.

FOOD, entertainment and recreation centers may get a boost from the BAIT AND SWITCH.

Big empty buildings to be repurposed, maybe you have the next hot game, or idea, turn a Macy's store into a giant play center, pizza and mice on top floor, video games on bottom, long bar runs the way around.

OK, for Warriors who can help small businesses who are suffering from the closing of the malls and big stores, because the traffic isn't there...

you can be a hero. Help them to create offers which pull people in.

If you are SEO guy, WordPress gal, or IM genius, go offer to help these struggling businesses.

Well, let's see what else anyone has?

Do you have a million dollar idea? Mine is, Cornhole. (Yes, I hear the giggles). Ohio is one of the hot spots for bean bag toss games, call em whatever you want.

Why not have a tournament, MONTHLY, a qualifiying round, family, teams, mixed leagues, much like bowling used to be popular, set up a cornhole tournament in a soon to be vacant Best Buy. OK, that's one I'll give away.

What ideas do any of you have on the use of vacant buildings, closing malls, big boxes...and more people staying home and ordering their stuff online?

Let's look for ways to go into the future and profit from the trends. OK?

GordonJ

I don't know where the closest Amazon distribution center is - but I've had several products deliver in one day in the past few months.

Amazon did what no other online retailer had done - they provide fantastic customer service....they will FIX a problem....they outdo the offline stores time after time.

The one problem Amazon has is higher end clothing. Amazon discounts - designers don't want their goods discounted....I'm not sure that can be worked out.

No matter - I don't buy designer duds anyway!

Hi

I tend to agree, the bait and switch tactic used to be illegal in many locations during the early 1980s. Retailers were required to issue rain checks to avoid legal complaints. Since the lifting of restrictions many retailers have become serial abusers of the bait and switch tactic, especially for the Black Friday sales.

Having said that, not all retailers abuse their customers, and many are prospering. In fact Amazon. the largest online retailer is now moving aggressively into physical brick-and-mortar stores.

Amazon Is Opening More Brick-and-Mortar Bookstores