Department Stores and Coronavirus

storewanderer
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Department Stores and Coronavirus

Post by storewanderer »

May as well get this thread going too given this situation.

Ross has canceled all purchase orders through June 18. That was announced in late March.

A lot of retailers with stock prices below $1. Stage Stores, Stein Mart, JC Penney.

Clothing business is going to be real interesting territory in the next year.
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Re: Department Stores and Coronavirus

Post by Super S »

This is one of those "gray areas." Stores like Ross, as well as department stores such as Macy's and JCPenney are closed along with most mall stores. Other non-chain clothing stores are closed because they are not deemed "essential". Meanwhile, Walmart, Costco, Target, Fred Meyer, and other big box stores selling essential merchandise which also happen to sell clothing are able to remain open.

There is a very real possibility that we will see some going out of business sales when all of the restrictions end.
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Re: Department Stores and Coronavirus

Post by reymann »

i suspect once the restrictions are lifted stores like macy's and j.c. penney will likely file for bankruptcy where as stores like ross and marshall's will be better equipped to weather the storm. sears will finally be forced to liquidate this summer.
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Re: Department Stores and Coronavirus

Post by BillyGr »

reymann wrote: April 9th, 2020, 9:19 am i suspect once the restrictions are lifted stores like macy's and j.c. penney will likely file for bankruptcy where as stores like ross and marshall's will be better equipped to weather the storm. sears will finally be forced to liquidate this summer.
Makes sense - in fact those types of stores (Ross/Marshalls) seem to be likely to buy the items the others want to get rid of (as that is what they do normally anyway), and with there probably being more than usual available they might be able to either offer even better deals on what they do buy, or recoup some of their lost profits by buying lower and still selling at their normal price points.
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Re: Department Stores and Coronavirus

Post by cjd »

I imagine due to the virus there will be a lot of out of season clothes still in department store locations and distribution warehouses that will need to be unloaded after this whole thing is finally over. How many missed seasons of sales remains to be seen (hopefully spring/summer only!) But I imagine this will be a big opportunity for discounters like Ross, Marshalls, etc.
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Re: Department Stores and Coronavirus

Post by cjd »

I stopped at Ross and Marshalls today for first time since the closings. It was rainy so there wasn't much traffic. Marshalls had a sign stating only 115 were allowed in at once (seems like a lot) and an employee with gloves offered me a cart in the vestibule. There were corporate signs saying "Welcome back and the safety rules." Inside the store looked really picked over,
home goods had signs saying "Excuse our current look" and that items would be coming soon.

Ross had no line to get in at least at this time, and it too looked very picked over. Even less inventory in men's than Marshalls, I didn't go back to the other home departments. Hardly worth waiting in a long line to get into the store for, unless in the early weeks of reopening there was a lot more inventory.
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Re: Department Stores and Coronavirus

Post by Super S »

The Ross in Longview, WA had a line going around the side of the building when it reopened:

https://tdn.com/news/local/shoppers-swa ... 43b02.html

I don't get it. Maybe it has to do with the fact that Longview-Kelso has so few shopping options for clothes that are open right now (Two Walmarts, Fred Meyer, and Target) but still, Ross is not the kind of store I would wait in line for. Ross, on a good day, doesn't have a very good men's department. I can't imagine what it's like when it's picked over.
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Re: Department Stores and Coronavirus

Post by storewanderer »

Ross had line ups everywhere. I wonder if someone was paying people to line up at these places or it is just a parade of low information consumers who think this is the only place to go get a deal and it is worth the line up. TJ Maxx- same situation with the line up. Granted the local store is larger and has a lot more to offer than Ross, I still don't see the reason for a line up. I have no clue why people are lining up for these places. They could walk right into Macys or Kohls and go straight to the clearance area and find winter/fall various items $5-7 which equates to 80-90% off the regular prices.

But I did briefly go into a Ross about 30 minutes before its 7 PM closure and it only had a few customers, no line up, and not well stocked. Seemed clean, though. I'll go back again in a few years and see if anything has changed.

I've been to a couple of Kohls. Kohls has closed all fitting rooms and now has a 180 day return policy and they advise customers of these policies upon entry. Kohls also has tables all over the store with customer use (not for sale) hand sanitizer; most were stolen in Reno but in Carson City the tables are all still there and stocked. The stores seem to be loaded to the rafers with clearance items mostly heavily marked down (many items 80% off and a few 90% off + extra 30% off the first price calculated + use coupon for extra 15% off the second price calculated).

Other interesting thing with Kohls is the stores seem to be running on reduced staffing levels but maybe they have just shifted around employees to other functions. Only one set of doors is open and jewelry is not staffed with a sign saying to go see cashier for assistance. Very Sears like. Now at the open set of doors there is a greeter who explains the return policy and fitting room rules to everyone who enters so that is a new position. Also they have split up the customer service department and the Amazon returns, where they have taken and set up a separate counter for Amazon returns away from customer service which requires a dedicated employee to operate it so that is also a new position that they did not previously have. The Kohls Stores are quite neat and orderly, also clean; it seems someone was working in those stores during the closures straightening them out.

For some reason Reno Kohls close at 7 PM and smaller Carson City Kohls closes at 8 PM. Lots of customers at Reno Kohls right around closing time (more people in the store at 6:55 than at 6 when I got there).
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Re: Department Stores and Coronavirus

Post by cjd »

I stopped at Ross again today. No lines the last few times I've been, but quite a few people shopping.

The departments are looking really empty, men's only had a small amount of clothing in each size. Housewares was actually stocked pretty well but still quite a few empty shelves. Carts were across the back blocking the fitting room area and restroom hallway since those areas are closed. Today I noticed the store felt very warm and humid inside, not sure what's going on unless they have turned up the A/C to save costs.

Marshall's I never saw lines at all at. The store looked about the same as Ross although it did seem to have a bit larger selection in clothing but home stuff was looking very barren. Both stores have signs stating that they are working to get the stores restocked soon.

I also stopped in at a Bealls Outlet. This store was looking very good. Lots of customers (at least as much as any Saturday). Clothing was well stocked, all of housewares, pet items, shoes etc all looked very good. Not sure what the difference is between them and the aforementioned two stores.
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Re: Department Stores and Coronavirus

Post by Alpha8472 »

Humidity and heat kills coronavirus. Even a small increase in humidity and temperature can greatly reduce transmission of coronavirus.

I hate freezing cold temperatures. These are the conditions that caused the rapid spread of coronavirus in New York.
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