[Halifax] Halifax Shopping Centre Redevelopment | ? m | ? fl | Proposed

[fenwick16]

Originally Posted by teddifax

They had better think about snow removal for that glass roof......

I was thinking something similar. But maybe as long as the mall is heated, the snow will melt?

[counterfactual]

Originally Posted by fenwick16

I think the real reason is: when downtown Vancouver and downtown Toronto were being developed in the 60's and 70's the focus was on multi-level malls. On the other hand, the newer suburb areas have "power centers" for a couple of reasons:
1) Retailers want to be able to open for extended hours if they so please without having to pay the overhead associated with security and overhead of an entire mall. They also want to have parking in close vicinity to their store.
2) Consumers have shown that they prefer the power center concept where they can just drive up to their selected store without wandering through a mall. This is evidenced by all the dead, dying and demolished malls in North America. I don't think it is a good idea to try to force malls on people who don't want them. However, since the younger generation doesn't seem to drive as much, maybe that will change?

Here are a couple aerial map links to power centers in Mississauga - https://www.google.ca/maps/@43.59841.../data=!3m1!1e3 and https://www.google.ca/maps/@43.61440.../data=!3m1!1e3. The second Mississauga example dwarfs Dartmouth Crossings - https://www.google.ca/maps/@44.70503.../data=!3m1!1e3. The Mississauga example is a mix of industrial and expansive commercial/retail (so if you include Burnside with Dartmouth Crossing they might be comparable). It may not be pretty, but it certainly is popular.


Well, you might be thinking that this is just Mississauga ; however, I can give examples of power centers in Milton, Oakville and Burlington; and these are just in the western suburbs of Toronto.

Here is a smaller one that is popping up in Hamilton - https://www.google.ca/maps/@43.19494.../data=!3m1!1e3. Just a positive note: consider Hamilton that was going through a period of slow growth due to reductions in the steel industry, its power center on the mountain looks rather small; isn't it somewhat encouraging that the Halifax Metro area can support the Dartmouth Crossing, which will get much larger once IKEA opens? Let's face it, places like IKEA would not have located in the developed areas of central Halifax.

I could go on and on with examples, but I have failed in my attempt to keep this post concise

Interestingly, when I spoke with employees at the Apple store at HSC about why they chose to locate at HSC as opposed to on Spring Garden or in one of the business parks (they said SGR was definitely in the final running) was that a lot of Apple's internal consumer research found that customers in colder climates (I guess Canada!) prefer the mall experience because they can enter the mall and do shopping through out, avoiding bad weather and cold temps. By contrast, you cannot do that downtown, nor out in big box parks.

I think the dead suburban malls in North America is not a story about malls but merely a product of the slow death of suburbs themselves in the long term. Baby Boomers generation bought into, and expanded, the suburbs but now in retirement are leaving them for downtowns. Millennials unlike their parents prefer urban environments. Suburban malls are dying as a result.

Big boxes aren't dying as quickly as they have often been built in locations that serve both surburban and urban populations, creating congestion and sprawl costs both ways. But they'll also have to change in the long term as well, or they'll likewise die like suburban strip malls. Even IKEA which is the prototypical big box store is realizing that for its long term survival, it needs to come up with a different model to serve the new urban consumer base.

http://www.mnn.com/money/sustainable...periments-with

And it's not just IKEA, Walmart and other big boxes are distancing themselves from unsustainable sprawl parks:

http://www.retaildive.com/news/going...stores/356248/

The problem for Halifax, is that we've done a terrible job at protecting and strengthening our downtown until very very recently, and instead catered to big box parks that have simply gotten out of control. Downtown has suffered and declined, and so there is less need or pressure for retailers to attempt urban formatting when it's far more cheaper to open up in Dartmouth Crossing, because our tax and regulatory structure favor business parks far, far, more.

These changes will eventually arrive here too, just simply due to the demographics I've mentioned. Housing starts in the suburbs, for example, are down dramatically in Halifax and they are not going to recover. Urban format shops will come, but like urbanization in Nova Scotia more generally, we'll be a decade or so behind the rest of Canada due to our regressive policies, regulations, and shortsighted city politicians/staffers.

FWIW, I'm happy IKEA is coming, but was hoping that we would be the location for one of its first smaller urban format shops, rather than a traditional big box style. Halifax seems to be an ideal location for such an experiment because all of the students are located on the peninsula and Dartmouth Crossing is poorly serviced by transit. In Toronto, I was car-less and hated having to try to figure out how to get my crap back downtown, and that was even with an IKEA served almost directly by the TTC. I think students in Halifax would also far prefer to be able to walk to an IKEA urban format shop downtown on SGR, pick items out of a catalogue, and have smaller items there for immediate pick up (much like Argos does with urban format shops in England) and have bigger items delivered direct to their place in a few days-- rather than finding a way to get out to Dartmouth Crossing and then find a way to lug all their crap back with them (if they want to avoid delivery costs). If students have to pay for delivery anyways, why force them to go all the way out to Dartmouth Crossing to order? Urban format here could be wildly successful.

[q12]

Originally Posted by fenwick16

Are there any other large structures with glass ceilings like this in Halifax? I can't think of any.

They are calling this the largest flat glass structural skylight in Eastern Canada.

Is there anything in Ontario or Quebec this large?

[fenwick16]

Originally Posted by q12

They are calling this the largest flat glass structural skylight in Eastern Canada.

Is there anything in Ontario or Quebec this large?

The Eaton's Centre in downtown Toronto has a large glass ceiling but it isn't flat - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toront...Boxing_Day.jpg

I haven't been in a structure with a large glass ceiling. The HSC glass ceiling certainly looks impressive in the renderings.

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by counterfactual

Interestingly, when I spoke with employees at the Apple store at HSC about why they chose to locate at HSC as opposed to on Spring Garden or in one of the business parks (they said SGR was definitely in the final running) was that a lot of Apple's internal consumer research found that customers in colder climates (I guess Canada!) prefer the mall experience because they can enter the mall and do shopping through out, avoiding bad weather and cold temps. By contrast, you cannot do that downtown, nor out in big box parks.

Is this a surprise?

FWIW, I'm happy IKEA is coming, but was hoping that we would be the location for one of its first smaller urban format shops, rather than a traditional big box style. Halifax seems to be an ideal location for such an experiment because all of the students are located on the peninsula and Dartmouth Crossing is poorly serviced by transit. In Toronto, I was car-less and hated having to try to figure out how to get my crap back downtown, and that was even with an IKEA served almost directly by the TTC. I think students in Halifax would also far prefer to be able to walk to an IKEA urban format shop downtown on SGR, pick items out of a catalogue, and have smaller items there for immediate pick up (much like Argos does with urban format shops in England) and have bigger items delivered direct to their place in a few days-- rather than finding a way to get out to Dartmouth Crossing and then find a way to lug all their crap back with them (if they want to avoid delivery costs). If students have to pay for delivery anyways, why force them to go all the way out to Dartmouth Crossing to order? Urban format here could be wildly successful.

Clearly, IKEA's target market is not students.

There is no basis for your claim that an urban format here would be in any way successful, given their business model.

[counterfactual]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

Is this a surprise?

It was "interesting" in light of what fenwick had written -- that consumers prefer to drive up to outlets in big box. The comments from Apple store employees refute that suggestion. Of course, employee comments should not be taken without a grain of salt. There could be many reasons why Apple located at HSC, including just cheaper rent vs SGR.

Originally Posted by Keith P.

Clearly, IKEA's target market is not students.

There is no basis for your claim that an urban format here would be in any way successful, given their business model.

IKEA is coming here, so they clearly think their business can work here. I made an argument as to why I thought an urban format shop would be successful in downtown based on the fact that students are a key part of its customer base.

You dispute that, but you're blatantly wrong. Students are IKEA's #1 customer. Here's a slide from IKEA itself, and they place students at the very top of their customer base:



In fact, IKEA's customer base is so heavily reliant upon students, that it's often had to do marketing to inform the public that it's "not just for students".

http://www.cnbc.com/id/49241508

So, my "basis" is IKEA itself and IKEA's own market research. Pretty solid, really.

Without the universities, there is no way in hell IKEA ever sets up shop here. Zero chance. Zilch. None. Nihil.

[connect2source]

Originally Posted by terrynorthend

I agree, Fenwick. Vancouver is a special case in Canada because of its geography. The city has by necessity built up more than out. Not unlike what is seen in Hong Kong.

There are many small/mid-sized Canadian and American cities with large suburban style power-centres. It has been the go to style in North America for the last few decades. I don't like them, but I also don't think its fair to single out Halifax as a unique case that lost 20-30 years because of poor and over-ambitious suburban planning.

Yes, we had more retail downtown in the 70s and 80s, some of it national branded, but it was small scale and already headed towards obsolescence. A tiny Woolco and Sobeys in Scotia Square were about the biggest draw downtown could boast. MicMac Mall and HSC were already drawing away more shoppers than downtown could pull in.

True but no amount of power-centre big box development should come at the cost of a charming, super-appealing and very historic city centre loaded with attractions and beauty. Halifax was not some mediocre, typical mid-size city, it was landmark. With some vision, it certainly could have survived alongside any generic suburban stuff.

Vancouver didn't just grow 'up versus out', it rather methodically made attempts to preserve it's core through densification and even incorporated the big box stuff so residents wouldn't be so easily tempted by power-centres. There's an underground downtown Costco, for example, plus downtown locations for Winners, Home Sense, Best Buy, and smaller-urban versions of Home Depot and Canadian Tire. With a little effort these could be incorporated into the downtown retail-scape in Halifax as well. Scotia Square might have been a great candidate from some of these urban big-box locations.

[fenwick16]

Originally Posted by counterfactual

.
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In fact, IKEA's customer base is so heavily reliant upon students, that it's often had to do marketing to inform the public that it's "not just for students".

http://www.cnbc.com/id/49241508

So, my "basis" is IKEA itself and IKEA's own market research. Pretty solid, really.

Without the universities, there is no way in hell IKEA ever sets up shop here. Zero chance. Zilch. None. Nihil.

I agree that part of the target market includes students (and young people in general). I helped my oldest son furnish his first apartment with furniture from IKEA (the one in Burlington, Ontario). He has finished university and has a job in a nearby city.

However, most students and even most young people furnishing an apartment are likely going with parents/relatives or friends who have a car, or are taking their own car. So Dartmouth Crossing is actually a good location. Parents can take their sons/daughters to IKEA even if they are going to Acadia, St. F. X., maybe even the University of Moncton.

I think IKEA will do well at the Dartmouth Crossing.

[connect2source]

IKEA can be anywhere in a metro, students and everyone else manage to get there no matter what. Here in Vancouver, students use many of the car-share programs to get their IKEA fix.

[counterfactual]

Originally Posted by fenwick16

I agree that part of the target market includes students (and young people in general). I helped my oldest son furnish his first apartment with furniture from IKEA (the one in Burlington, Ontario). He has finished university and has a job in a nearby city.

However, most students and even most young people furnishing an apartment are likely going with parents/relatives or friends who have a car, or are taking their own car. So Dartmouth Crossing is actually a good location. Parents can take their sons/daughters to IKEA even if they are going to Acadia, St. F. X., maybe even the University of Moncton.

I think IKEA will do well at the Dartmouth Crossing.

I don't disagree IKEA can do well at Dartmouth Crossing. I'm sure they would have crunched the numbers hard before choosing a location (Halifax) where they previously came and failed. I'm sure they are expecting in customers coming from NB and elsewhere in NS, as you say.

That being said, I'm just making the argument that Halifax would be an great location to experiment with an urban format IKEA shop, as I think it would be successful. Acadia / St. FX / Dalhousie Agriculture campus all would potentially service the Dartmouth Crossing location, from other part of the province. But there's still more far more students in HRM -- Dal, St. Mary's, MSVU, King's, NSCC, NSCAD, Daltec, Atlantic School of Theology. That's an incredible # of postsec institutions per capita.

[worldlyhaligonian]

Students are definitely one of IKEA's main customers, if not the number 1.

I think Halifax will blow their expectations out of the water because of this. Such a logical decision given the schools in the city and the region... I'm surprised they didn't do it sooner.

[OldDartmouthMark]

Question 1: How often do students buy furniture? I'm guessing at the start of the school year, and typically only for new students (unless returning students sell off their stuff at the end of each school year rather than take it 'home' or wherever they spend their summers, and then buy new stuff the following year). I'm imagining that IKEA couldn't afford to dedicate a separate location to students based on a once-per year glut. One would think that a free-delivery program or some such idea would be more cost effective.

Question 2: Why does everybody shudder at delivery fees? The cost of paying a one-time delivery fee would just be part of the cost of buying furniture. Much cheaper than buying a car, or renting one, for that matter. As I see it, if you choose to live a car-free lifestyle, then delivery costs when purchasing large items should just be part of your budget, much the same way as those who own cars figure the car and associated costs into their budget.

We can argue all day long about where the store should and shouldn't be, but the fact remains that they chose this location based on their business plan, and we as consumers have to adapt to it - like everything else that we don't have direct control over in this world.

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by OldDartmouthMark

Question 1: How often do students buy furniture? I'm guessing at the start of the school year, and typically only for new students (unless returning students sell off their stuff at the end of each school year rather than take it 'home' or wherever they spend their summers, and then buy new stuff the following year). I'm imagining that IKEA couldn't afford to dedicate a separate location to students based on a once-per year glut.

Exactly, which is why the student argument is overblown. Most students I knew never bought new furniture, preferring instead to get stuff via the second-hand market. There is a thriving trade in used student furniture and given the financial status of many, new stuff is perhaps reserved for a mattress. Most students do not care about interior design.

[OliverD]

Originally Posted by fenwick16

I think the real reason is: when downtown Vancouver and downtown Toronto were being developed in the 60's and 70's the focus was on multi-level malls. On the other hand, the newer suburb areas have "power centers" for a couple of reasons:
1) Retailers want to be able to open for extended hours if they so please without having to pay the overhead associated with security and overhead of an entire mall. They also want to have parking in close vicinity to their store.
2) Consumers have shown that they prefer the power center concept where they can just drive up to their selected store without wandering through a mall. This is evidenced by all the dead, dying and demolished malls in North America. I don't think it is a good idea to try to force malls on people who don't want them. However, since the younger generation doesn't seem to drive as much, maybe that will change?

I'm not sure that your second point is an actual preference that people have. Malls are dying because some retailers don't want to pay the rent because they are paying for a significant amount of infrastructure: Common areas, bathrooms, information kiosks, security, elevators, etc. So they move into power centers.

Companies that sell luxury goods and/or have very high sales per square foot are not decamping from enclosed malls. Think Coach, Apple, LEGO, etc.

If a mall has all the stores that people want to visit they'll certainly go there, but if many of the stores move into power centers then that is where the consumers will follow. And the power centers can more easily draw small and medium size retailers if they are anchored by large stores that traditionally eschew enclosed malls, like Costco, Home Depot, Wal-Mart, etc.

[OliverD]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

Exactly, which is why the student argument is overblown. Most students I knew never bought new furniture, preferring instead to get stuff via the second-hand market. There is a thriving trade in used student furniture and given the financial status of many, new stuff is perhaps reserved for a mattress. Most students do not care about interior design.

Or is this a chicken and egg problem? If an IKEA is present, will students be more likely to purchase new furniture?

[Kitchissippi]

It's not necessarily the students buying the furniture —their parents do I don't go anywhere near the IKEA in Ottawa during the start of the school year, it is a zoo. The biggest appeal has to be the knock-down aspect, I remember moving out of my student digs will a Civic station wagon (way back when those things existed). Funny fact, some of my furniture was bought at the Halifax IKEA back in the 1980s!

[worldlyhaligonian]

And the fact there is a new batch every year...

[fenwick16]

Originally Posted by OliverD

I'm not sure that your second point is an actual preference that people have. Malls are dying because some retailers don't want to pay the rent because they are paying for a significant amount of infrastructure: Common areas, bathrooms, information kiosks, security, elevators, etc. So they move into power centers.

Companies that sell luxury goods and/or have very high sales per square foot are not decamping from enclosed malls. Think Coach, Apple, LEGO, etc.

If a mall has all the stores that people want to visit they'll certainly go there, but if many of the stores move into power centers then that is where the consumers will follow. And the power centers can more easily draw small and medium size retailers if they are anchored by large stores that traditionally eschew enclosed malls, like Costco, Home Depot, Wal-Mart, etc.

It depends on the shopper. Some people like browsing but there are some, like myself, who avoid malls with a passion and prefer power centres.

The idea of going to a mall for any of my specific needs would be a nuisance; I just find a parking spot in front of my desired store without having to deal with wandering through a mall. For example, if I want casual clothes I would go to Mark's Work Warehouse (now it is just called Mark's), if I want something a bit dressier then it is Tip Top Tailors, if I want office supplies or electronics then it is Staples, if I want lumber/building supplies then it is Home Depot, if it is car supplies/ metric bolts/odds_and_ends it is Canadian Tire, if it is personal care products then it is Shoppers Drug Mart. I have never seen a mall with my short list of favorite stores.

Most people I know, seem to also have specific destinations for shopping and aren't overly keen on going to mall. However, people I know are part of the car-loving generation (i.e. the older generation).

Just in case, my perception is different than reality, I found some stats on consumer preference that indicates a majority of people prefer big box shopping/power centres: (source: http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/oca-bc....g/ca02096.html)

Canadians clearly enjoy many of the features of big box stores, including added convenience, longer hours of operation, one-stop shopping, and free and ample parking. Public opinion data from 2003 indicated that a majority of Canadians find that big box retailers provide convenient one-stop shopping (72 percent) and lower prices (68 percent).

But there are disadvantages to big box stores, including crowds, traffic congestion and, particularly for older consumers, very large spaces that can be exhausting and disorienting to navigate. Perhaps the greatest perceived shortcoming of big box stores is a lack of personal service. For example, in a 2003 national poll, only 26 percent of Canadians agreed that big box stores provided better service than smaller stores, and a 2000 poll of British Columbia residents revealed that a slim majority (51 percent) preferred shopping in smaller stores to big box ones, citing the personal attention and service they receive in smaller shops (see Retail Council of Canada 2000). Considering all factors, however, Canadians appear to appreciate big box stores — some 57 percent agree that "overall, they are good for consumers."

In any case, malls seem to belong to a past era as stated by stats in this link - http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/oca-bc....g/ca02855.html with big box/power centres clearly taking over.

[counterfactual]

Originally Posted by fenwick16

It depends on the shopper. Some people like browsing but there are some, like myself, who avoid malls with a passion and prefer power centres.

The idea of going to a mall for any of my specific needs would be a nuisance; I just find a parking spot in front of my desired store without having to deal with wandering through a mall. For example, if I want casual clothes I would go to Mark's Work Warehouse (now it is just called Mark's), if I want something a bit dressier then it is Tip Top Tailors, if I want office supplies or electronics then it is Staples, if I want lumber/building supplies then it is Home Depot, if it is car supplies/ metric bolts/odds_and_ends it is Canadian Tire, if it is personal care products then it is Shoppers Drug Mart. I have never seen a mall with my short list of favorite stores.

Most people I know, seem to also have specific destinations for shopping and aren't overly keen on going to mall. However, people I know are part of the car-loving generation (i.e. the older generation).

Just in case, my perception is different than reality, I found some stats on consumer preference that indicates a majority of people prefer big box shopping/power centres: (source: http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/oca-bc....g/ca02096.html)

Canadians clearly enjoy many of the features of big box stores, including added convenience, longer hours of operation, one-stop shopping, and free and ample parking. Public opinion data from 2003 indicated that a majority of Canadians find that big box retailers provide convenient one-stop shopping (72 percent) and lower prices (68 percent).

But there are disadvantages to big box stores, including crowds, traffic congestion and, particularly for older consumers, very large spaces that can be exhausting and disorienting to navigate. Perhaps the greatest perceived shortcoming of big box stores is a lack of personal service. For example, in a 2003 national poll, only 26 percent of Canadians agreed that big box stores provided better service than smaller stores, and a 2000 poll of British Columbia residents revealed that a slim majority (51 percent) preferred shopping in smaller stores to big box ones, citing the personal attention and service they receive in smaller shops (see Retail Council of Canada 2000). Considering all factors, however, Canadians appear to appreciate big box stores — some 57 percent agree that "overall, they are good for consumers."

In any case, malls seem to belong to a past era as stated by stats in this link - http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/oca-bc....g/ca02855.html with big box/power centres clearly taking over.

Is 2003 the best data they have? Over a decade old. I think consumer preferences will significantly change as Millennials become the primary consumers.

Big boxes/power centres are not going to survive in an Amazon / urban format world. That's my prediction. All of the "benefits" of big box are actually totally and completely answered by Amazon: why drive in congested highway to big box retail if I can just order what I want online? If I don't like any kind of parking lot or spending money on gas, why should I? Also: lower prices and better variety too. Urban shops, which are easier to get to for urban populations, will survive due to convenience. That's why all big box retailers are already considering smaller formatted stores for urban environments. The writing is on the wall. You can see it etched in the charred remains of Future Shop, Target Canada, Rona, Radio Shack, and the slow death of Walmart, Best Buy, and Target (America).


The Fate Of America's Dying Supercenters
http://www.businessinsider.com/the-f...centers-2014-8

"Just about every major trend we're following right now bodes poorly for power center retail," Doug Stephens, founder of industry website Retail Prophet and author of "The Retail Revival: Re-Imagining Business for the New Age of Consumerism" told Business Insider.

Americans are driving less than they have in decades. Populations are flocking to smaller, urban communities over sprawling suburbs. And consumers in their 20s and 30s increasingly prefer small, local shops to big-box retail.

The proliferation of e-commerce also means that consumers can order many products online rather than having to drive to the store.

"The days of swinging the doors open on a dusty warehouse and waiting for throngs of customers to descend on it are numbered," Stephens said.

In response to this trend, retailers like Wal-Mart and Whole Foods are building smaller stores.

But that solution still leaves empty supercenters.

Wall Street Analysts Predict The Slow Demise Of Walmart And Target
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/0...n_5630572.html

That’s the message of a research note published by Goldman Sachs analysts on Tuesday cutting their investment rating on shares of Walmart. Shoppers are increasingly turning to the web or to smaller, more conveniently located stores, cutting into the market share of big-box retailers like Walmart and Target, the analysts wrote.

[...]

Sure enough, both Walmart and Target have struggled lately. Target's profit fell 16 percent in the first quarter from a year earlier, and U.S. same-store sales -- a metric of retail health that tracks sales at stores open at least a year -- fell 0.3 percent. Same-store sales have fallen in 12 of the past 20 quarters at Walmart's U.S. stores, according to data-tracking firm Retail Metrics.

[...]

Walmart might already see the writing on the wall. The company announced last week that its U.S. CEO Bill Simon would step down after years of poor store performance. WalmartLabs, the retailer’s tech-development arm, has bought at least 14 companies in the past few years -- largely to get the tech talent it needs to build up its online offerings, according to TechCrunch. It has been aggressively touting its site and apps that help customers use their phones and computers to shop.

[...]

Both Walmart and Target also toying with the idea of getting smaller, experimenting with mini-stores that aim to lure urban shoppers looking for convenience. In recent years, many such customers have turned to dollar stores and pharmacy chains in order to avoid the hassle (and gas cost) of driving out to suburbia to shop. So far, these stores have done well for Walmart, and the company could add up to 300 more this fiscal year.

Still, there aren't enough sales at these smaller stores to make a big difference yet: Goldman expects they will add just 2.8 percent of revenue to Walmart's 2013 base

Big box retail and power centres are dying. Of course, these trends will take a while to impact here in Halifax. Because Halifax loves cars and big box! But they will die. They're not sustainable.

[fenwick16]

Originally Posted by counterfactual

Is 2003 the best data they have? Over a decade old. I think consumer preferences will significantly change as Millennials become the primary consumers.

Big boxes/power centres are not going to survive in an Amazon / urban format world. That's my prediction. All of the "benefits" of big box are actually totally and completely answered by Amazon: why drive in congested highway to big box retail if I can just order what I want online? If I don't like any kind of parking lot or spending money on gas, why should I? Also: lower prices and better variety too. Urban shops, which are easier to get to for urban populations, will survive due to convenience. That's why all big box retailers are already considering smaller formatted stores for urban environments. The writing is on the wall. You can see it etched in the charred remains of Future Shop, Target Canada, Rona, Radio Shack, and the slow death of Best Buy and Target (America).


The Fate Of America's Dying Supercenters
http://www.businessinsider.com/the-f...centers-2014-8



Wall Street Analysts Predict The Slow Demise Of Walmart And Target
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/0...n_5630572.html

I think online shopping will soon start to plateau; I use online shopping for specific requirements, however, when I want something immediately then I go to a big box store.

I can understand the demise of Walmart; it is the last place I would go to buy an item.