TELECOM Digest OnLine - Sorted: Re: New Monopoly in Dept Stores -- Federated and May Co to Merge

Re: New Monopoly in Dept Stores -- Federated and May Co to Merge

Bill Ranck (ranck@joesbar.cc.vt.edu)
Fri, 4 Mar 2005 22:12:09 UTC

hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com wrote:

> Second, the traditional old line dept stores actually had considerable
> variety. The modern mgmt have eliminated a lot of departments and
> special services. Gimbels, for example, had a scouting/camping dept,
> art supplies dept, and bookstore.

>> I think this sort of gradual fade into irrelevance is what terrifies
>> the heads of Federated and (heavily-indebted) May. ...

> It's their own fault, and merger won't fix it, anymore than merging
> the Pennsylvania and New York Central railroads saved them.

It seems obvious to me that the traditional, old line, department
stores have been replaced by *malls*. No, it's not one big store with
clothing, furniture, housewares, and whatnot all under one name, but
effectively the malls today have all the same stuff in a series of
small independent or chain stores under one roof. It's better in some
ways because there will be competing stores in a mall selling similar
merchandise, while a department store does not have competing
departments.

So, it seems that malls have both centralized and de-centalized the
retail industry at the same time. The telecom industry seems to be
working its way toward that same kind of situation.

Bill Ranck
Blacksburg, Va.

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