Publix hasn't fully exploited its existing territory--places like Knoxville (where they only have a few stores). There are a limited number of places with the population base and relative prosperity to which they can expand. Memphis would make sense but a place like Covington isn't one of them. It's...

This is an expensive gamble and I doubt that it will stop JCP from closing what's left of their small market and other small format stores. Simon and Brookfield are in first and second tier markets with A and B-grade malls (Simon has the Bs mostly via the Glimcher spinoff which I think they still ma...

There certainly were regional chains that outlasted the competition like Strawbridge & Clothier in Philly (lasted into the 90s), plus you've got Boscov's and Van Maur who are truly old school and still around, but mostly the regionals have been gone for a long time. May started consolidating their c...

No "riots" in Capitol Hill---it's not a major business area. Actually, we have demonstrations several times a week w/o anything happening--I've often seen the groups parading down to the Lafayette Square area near the White House. The damage in at the end of May was scattered and didn't amount to mu...

Regional department stores haven't really existed since maybe the 80s, with all the consolidation and centralization of buying. The big chains might have dealt directly with Stein Mart or perhaps via a buying coop like AMC (which still exists, but is owned by Target---it used to be related to but no...

They easily could go into unused spaces in lifestyle and big box centers----esp. now, a lot of those places have 60-80K sf spots open where someone has left. Kohls seems to do well with this. JC Penney started in this direction but quickly stopped--would be interesting to know what happened. Ironica...

This is a small town beyond the suburban fringe of Memphis that has a lot of poverty. It probably has a limited future for Kroger.

He appears to have had a mixed record, at best and was fired along with a couple other executives. Two failed (and probably expensive) mergers and despite investing in the stores and negotiating better agreements with suppliers and a major benefit plan, sales have been flat overall. One of their few...

Went to one in Beachwood (outside of Cleveland) yesterday--small golf section, more men's stuff than other posts led me to expect (maybe 20-25% of the floor space) and it's the usual shirts, pants, accessories. They seem to have a little more upscale brands than a Marshall's, but I didn't see how th...

What's more interesting is that they are cutting ties with other chains, like Boscov's, which runs old fashioned sounding stores in the East and Dillard's which skews toward an older clientele. I wonder if part of the strategy to focus on specific demographics. They may simply be dropping low volume...