10 Years of RetailWatchers

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submariner
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10 Years of RetailWatchers

Post by submariner »

This weekend marks the 10th Anniversary for RetailWatchers! provide retail from the need for a message board to serve discussions on current retail trends and news to compliment David Gwynn's Groceteria website focusing on retail history (which celebrates its 20th Anniversary this year!), RetailWatchers has continued to spark meaningful discussion and provide fun and casual insights into the ever-changing retail landscape.

Here's a look at what's happened since 2009:
  • 1. In 2009, Circuit City closed its doors after 61 years.
  • 2. In 2015, A&P closed its doors after 156 years.
  • 3. in 2016, Sports Authority closed its doors after 29 years.
  • 4. Once an American megachain, RadioShack barely survives with 28 stores in the United States. In 2009 there were over 1,000 stores nationwide.
  • 5. In 2009, Kmart had 1,368 stores. Today there are only 202 stores.
  • 6. In 2009, there were 908 Sears stores in the US, and 122 Sears Canada stores. Today only 223 Sears stores remain in the US, and Sears Canada closed all stores in 2018.

What are your favorite retail memories from the past 10 years?
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Re: 10 Years of RetailWatchers

Post by klkla »

submariner wrote: February 24th, 2019, 3:56 pm This weekend marks the 10th Anniversary for RetailWatchers!
Congratulations! It's hard to believe it's already been 10 years.
submariner wrote: February 24th, 2019, 3:56 pm What are your favorite retail memories from the past 10 years?
The Haggen meltdown, for sure.
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Re: 10 Years of RetailWatchers

Post by Super S »

Not really a favorite memory, but noteworthy, is how people are migrating to the internet for purchases.
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Re: 10 Years of RetailWatchers

Post by veteran+ »

Let's not forget the 3.5 billion dollar fiasco of Fresh & Easy.

Tesco failed via their pure ignorance but mainly hubris.

Yucaipa Cos, shockingly failed despite their experience and expertise.
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Re: 10 Years of RetailWatchers

Post by Brian Lutz »

I think the story I found most interesting during this time would be Ron Johnson's crash-and-burn at JCPenney. To be fair they were already on the way down when he got there and things haven't really gotten any better since he left, but to see how tone-deaf and arrogant Johnson ans his lackeys were made an excellent "what not to do" example. It's interesting to note that even when someone tries to defend him a lot of former JCPenney people come out of the woodwork to say that, yes, he really WAS as terrible as his reputation:

https://kensegall.com/2018/06/11/ron-jo ... -jcpenney/
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Re: 10 Years of RetailWatchers

Post by TW-Upstate NY »

Retail events of note that have happened in my neck of the woods in the intervening years:
-P+C Foods goes out of business and a lot of the stores are purchased by Tops Friendly Markets which itself has sought bankruptcy protection as of late.

-Tops purchases the remaining Grand Union stores (renamed Grand Union Family Markets) from C+S Wholesale and rebrands them Tops thus retiring the Grand Union name which had been around since 1872. Interestingly enough, some of the units Tops bought were previously Tops which were previously Grand Union. Confused yet? I am!

-Shop-Rite reenters the Albany, NY market after exiting in the very late '80's. They've got five units and were interested in placing a store in Clifton Park-not really sure what's become of that as of late.

-And on an entirely personal note, the old decrepit but beloved former Loblaws in Gloversville which I passed on my way to and from work everyday was finally torn down towards the end of 2015 and a Stewart's Shop convenience store took its place. I was fortunate to get a brick from the debris before it all got carted away.
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Re: 10 Years of RetailWatchers

Post by SamSpade »

Early on in the Retail Watchers timeline, but SuperValu basically exiting Salt Lake City (Albertsons 2nd market...) and the stores becoming Fresh Market.

Of course, now we're full circle with Cerebus taking over and the Lucky name taking hold of the 4 remaining Utah real estate locations under their control. :-S

https://www.deseretnews.com/article/705 ... tores.html
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Re: 10 Years of RetailWatchers

Post by BillyGr »

TW-Upstate NY wrote: February 26th, 2019, 8:49 am Retail events of note that have happened in my neck of the woods in the intervening years:

-Tops purchases the remaining Grand Union stores (renamed Grand Union Family Markets) from C+S Wholesale and rebrands them Tops thus retiring the Grand Union name which had been around since 1872. Interestingly enough, some of the units Tops bought were previously Tops which were previously Grand Union. Confused yet? I am!

>>[Those stores - mostly in the Adirondacks - were original Grand Union locations. They were sold off to Tops during the Grand Union bankruptcy, but due to some sort of payment issues to C&S, who had bought the GU name and assets, they were returned to C&S and re-labeled Grand Union(Family Markets). Then Tops repurchased them more recently which brought them back to the Tops label and ended the GU name. If I'm thinking correctly, the first time Tops was still connected to Ahold, where now they are an independent chain?]<<

-Shop-Rite reenters the Albany, NY market after exiting in the very late '80's. They've got five units and were interested in placing a store in Clifton Park-not really sure what's become of that as of late.

>>[The original plan was to buy property the school district wanted to sell, and divide it for the ShopRite and the remainder to be a park - the local residents didn't like that idea and voted against it, so the property is no longer available for a store. Most likely they just haven't yet found another option with so much of the property along 9 & 146 already occupied or those spots that aren't just don't work for them space or location wise.]<<
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Re: 10 Years of RetailWatchers

Post by cjd »

-Bi-Lo buying Winn Dixie, and subsequently Winn Dixie buying the Sweetbay chain from Hannaford.

-OfficeMax merging with Office Depot

It's certainly been a changing time for retail in the last 10 years, that's for sure.
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Re: 10 Years of RetailWatchers

Post by Alpha8472 »

I remember the shocking announcement that Albertsons would take over Safeway. It was on this board where the first prediction of Cerberus buying Safeway came out. Safeway was in terrible shape and rumors were that a private equity firm would buy it.

This board predicted exactly what would happen long before the official announcement.
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