Staples to close 225 North American stores

[enim]

Staples & Sears follows SONY...

US office supplier Staples said it will close 225 stores in North America, more than 10% of its presence, as shoppers move online and its sales slump.

Sales in the final three months of the financial year fell 10.6% to $5.87bn (£3.5bn), the retailer said in a statement.

Staples has struggled to keep shoppers from buying supplies from online shops such as Amazon.

The move comes two days after US electronics retailer Radio Shack said it would close 1,100 stores - nearly 20% of its total - in an attempt to turn around its fortunes.

another head lines...
Sears closes Chicago flagship store as it moves to online retail.

Sears Canada to close two, possibly three, Toronto area stores
Sears stores at the Yorkdale Shopping Centre in Toronto and Square One in Mississauga will shut down, the company said.

Eaton Centre Sears closes its doors
Employees kept the tone light for most of the last day, yet the sadness was palpable.

What is happening to retail sales industries?
Those who are engaged in retail sales gonna face tough time ahead. I feel SORRY for them.
Do Not Sweat Your Blood for Someone!

[johns0]

Same thing is happening with postal services with email and courier services not associated with the postal service.People cried when computers took over jobs,it's the way of the future.

[gll99]

I'm sure they blame it mostly on internet sales cutting into their business but it's also because the internet has made people more price aware. I try to buy from brick and mortar stores but use the internet to comparison shop local sellers web sites. I can see why Staples is having some troubles but as you show they are not the only ones who have had to cut costs because consumers are more price conscious. For many years we were completely "Brand and retailer loyal" but found out they were more interested in attracting new business than keeping long term customers. Now we buy major appliances, televisions, furniture, electronics, clothes, etc... where the best price for the same or similar features takes us. In person if you have the financial means and can show them a similar deal is available elsewhere more retailers are willing to undercut competitors and throw in free local delivery of large items to close a sale. You just have to be ready to walk out if they won't negotiate to your liking.

[ranchhand]

Sorry to hear that, but our local Office Max store is an example. I got caught short of printer ink for my Canon iP7220 and had to go to them for ink. I walked out with an $80 charge for 4 containers of ink. At my favorite online retailer I have been using for years I got twice the amount for $60 including shipping and no tax. I am sorry these stores are closing, but UPS and FedEx will have to hire more employees to cover the increased shipping. Some of these retailers saw this coming and did nothing, Radio Shack and Sears for example. Sears has been struggling for years to survive simply because they were fat and lazy from the 40s to the 60s, same as American Auto Manufacturers. They forgot who they and their loyal customers were and tried to go upscale in the 60s and compete with Neiman Marcus, Marshal Field and other high-end stores, then fell flat on their stock indexes. I see upscale stores in my local shopping mall stuffing money in their cash registers fast as they can tap the keys.

[jagabo]

Some of these retailers saw this coming and did nothing, Radio Shack... for example.

Radio Shack deliberated long and hard and decided the solution was to call themselves "The Shack". When that didn't work they decided to change DIY to DIT. Geniuses, I tell ya!

[usually_quiet]

Seriously, this thread has nothing to do with video, so how does it qualify as Video News? The mods should move it to off-topic.

[jagabo]

Staples sells DVDs, cameras, etc.

[usually_quiet]

Staples sells DVDs, cameras, etc.

A lot of places carry some or all of these things. I can buy DVDs at the supermarket, either movies or low-quality recordable discs.

[jagabo]

Staples sells DVDs, cameras, etc.

A lot of places carry some or all of these things.

Really? I thought Staples was the only supplier in the world.

[usually_quiet]

Staples sells DVDs, cameras, etc.

A lot of places carry some or all of these things.

Really? I thought Staples was the only supplier in the world.

So, if almost any large general merchandise retailer closes stores you think that qualifies the latest video news. I'm not sure the mods will agree. We'll see.

[vhelp]

one other possible reason to blame is when say, "..have you looked on-line?". whether them or other outlets/firms. this doesn't help them. people get ideas and smart.

[budwzr]

When I found out Costco was selling last year's camera for today's price, it opened my eyes. Now I check the manufacturer's site to see what's really the latest.

Sam's Club sells 2 to 3 year old products. Nothing worse than buying an old model as new. That's got to be the most embarrassing and humiliating thing there is.

You're worried about the front pockets and them damn basserds are going for the back pocket. Nobody checks that one until it's too late.

[_Al_]

That is the thing of today in electronics, buying tablet, player, whatever, to find out how old it is! quite nightmare
Synology is a bright light in a tunnel, they sell NAS models where year is in model number, like DS211j (2011), DS213(2013) etc.

so you are right, in the store you are on your own, no online check what it is, other example that it just don't click to buy it in the store spontaneously, it is exactly like that, you remember what you saw elaborating about specs more thoroughly and buying later on-line

[budwzr]

Sony's game is to jack the MSRP way up so retailers can have a "sale" and still make a hefty margin.

[budwzr]

I see upscale stores in my local shopping mall stuffing money in their cash registers fast as they can tap the keys.

Same here in SoCal. There's a mall here, South Coast Plaza, that has a whole wing devoted to high end. And no shortage of customers. Mostly Nuvo Rich Asian tourists.

Some stores only sell purses and they have them on display like the Mona Lisa. The fact that the store can manage to pay rent from the profit on these purses ought to be a wakeup call to the customers.

Funny how the super-rich can easily cut waste from their businesses, but don't mind wasting extra money on something only to flaunt the label. Sure, the purse has superior style, workmanship, and materials. But take off the branding and it's just a nicer purse, maybe really worth just a few hundred, not thousands.

[TreeTops]

Hey Bud, I remember when South Coast Plaza was farmland with a Japanese guy using a horse drawn plow. Ask you mom and dad if they remember that.

[budwzr]

Hey Bud, I remember when South Coast Plaza was farmland ...

No parents left to ask, but where I live, Cerritos, was a dairy farm. Now it's 90% Asian too.

A lot of original Californians left SoCal during the last real estate bubble, and I don't blame them. They cashed out and went to Florida, or whatever, and bought the same amount of house for $100K.

We bought mid-bubble, so we're still ahead, but not enough to cash out. I would love to retire to Oregan or Wash State, but it's too slow, the pace. Hahaha.

I like the diversity here too.