Rope-a-Dope Discounts
Once in a while, I go into a pre-Warmart chain store to buy something. I went into Penneys to buy a pair of walking shoes last month. That was my first pair of shoes in 5 years. It was my first time in Penneys in five years.
I needed to try on the shoes. So, I bought from a store.
I don't buy shoes very often.
When I shop online, I can tell what things sell for. I can easily compare prices. In a big chain store, I can't.
The stores rig prices. Then they offer "discounts." Here is what various chains do to make shopping for deals more difficult: //www.garynorth.com/snip/1141.htm
Shopping for deals online is easy.
The pre-Walmart chain stores are not going to recover. They have been built in terms of customer ignorance. The Web has destroyed that model.
The Dollar stores work well. Walmart is not going away anytime soon. But the others are struggling, and will continue to struggle.
A new generation of shoppers does not read newspaper inserts. These people do not read newspapers. Retailing that is tied to newspapers is dying.