The Atlantic: "The Pandemic Will Change American Retail Forever"

[chromedome]

Posted here because there's a beefy section about the restaurant industry.

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/04/how-pandemic-will-change-face-retail/610738

[kayb]

Interesting. More than I could digest at one sitting, so I put it aside at the end of the restaurant section.

[Toliver]

@chromedome, Thank you for posting this.

I can already see changes happening. While the article's author says that the mom & pop restaurant will become a thing of the past, I say the proverbial pendulum swings both ways. They will return, some may actually survive.

And his assertion that grocery delivery is the future ain't going to happen with me. You want me to trust some kid to pick out a nice watermelon or head of lettuce? They don't know what they're doing and even if they did I wouldn't trust them to do it right. 

 

 

[chromedome]

5 minutes ago, Toliver said:

@chromedome, Thank you for posting this.

I can already see changes happening. While the article's author says that the mom & pop restaurant will become a thing of the past, I say the proverbial pendulum swings both ways. They will return, some may actually survive.

And his assertion that grocery delivery is the future ain't going to happen with me. You want me to trust some kid to pick out a nice watermelon or head of lettuce? They don't know what they're doing and even if they did I wouldn't trust them to do it right.

Yeah, that's why I haven't done it yet myself (and of course, the fact that we've gotten off *very* light, virus-wise, contributes as well).

I'd certainly have no qualm about ordering dry goods or pantry staples this way, but I really prefer to pick my produce personally (literally, in the garden sense, when possible). Also, a lot of my ordinary shopping consists of browsing the store for markdowns (aka "targets of opportunity"). A discerning eye is extra-important with those.

[gfweb]

1 hour ago, chromedome said:

Yeah, that's why I haven't done it yet myself (and of course, the fact that we've gotten off *very* light, virus-wise, contributes as well).

I'd certainly have no qualm about ordering dry goods or pantry staples this way, but I really prefer to pick my produce personally (literally, in the garden sense, when possible). Also, a lot of my ordinary shopping consists of browsing the store for markdowns (aka "targets of opportunity"). A discerning eye is extra-important with those.

Agreed. Delivery wont be a big thing for most people who are mobile. It's not cheap and the shoppers mostly don't care or understand that biscuits aren't crescent rolls and half and half isnt heavy cream.

[Kim Shook]

1 hour ago, chromedome said:

I'd certainly have no qualm about ordering dry goods or pantry staples this way, but I really prefer to pick my produce personally...

Not to mention meat, produce, and fish!

[gfweb]

I finally read the article. My first impression was that it was lazy, repeat- the-narrative writing. 

 

Final nail in the coffin for department stores. Mom and pop are going out of business too. We all gonna never be the same.

 

Except experience doesn't bear that out.  9/11 was cataclysmic, but things went back to pretty much the same normal in time. Businesses will adapt.

 

And unless Corona permanently damages taste, there will always be good pizza shops to compete with Domino's  

[JoNorvelleWalker]

3 hours ago, gfweb said:

I finally read the article. My first impression was that it was lazy, repeat- the-narrative writing. 

 

Final nail in the coffin for department stores. Mom and pop are going out of business too. We all gonna never be the same.

 

Except experience doesn't bear that out.  9/11 was cataclysmic, but things went back to pretty much the same normal in time. Businesses will adapt.

 

And unless Corona permanently damages taste, there will always be good pizza shops to compete with Domino's  

 

 

This area in North Jersey has many pizza venues.  What I see are Domino's deliveries.

 

[gfweb]

7 hours ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

 

 

This area in North Jersey has many pizza venues.  What I see are Domino's deliveries.

 

A mystery to me. Only advantage of Dominos that I can see is that they will sell you 10 pies without breaking a sweat, so groups benefit.

[rotuts]

very interesting article.

 

there  will be a lot of pain for smaller business's

 

Mom and Pop ,    Carts of stuff  in the center isles of Malls  

 

and small, local restaurants.

 

I wonder if Thai Noodle is still around now.  cant bear to find out.

 

the vast majority of businesses are mortgaged to very high levels , 

 

and require traffic to service those loans.

 

9/11  was far more psychological , unless you were in or near NYC.

 

this pandemic effects the entire financial and commercial system of the world.

 

when and if the pandemic is reasonably controlled  via a vaccine

 

trade and commerce will resprout

 

but  many small businesses   will not be able to reopen , due to their

 

crushing debt.   and debt for those that are not large business's

 

will unlikely to be forgiven.

 

a newer ' small restaurant ' model will take over

 

might be a lot more food trucks.   not something real estate moguls

 

will appreciate.