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Kohl's And The Rest Of The Retailers Are In Deep Trouble
Submitted by Jim Quinn of The Burning Platform
Kohl's And The Rest Of The Retailers Are In Deep Doo Doo
“Facts are stubborn things, but statistics are pliable.” ? Mark Twain
I never believe government manufactured numbers. They will always be adjusted, massaged, and manipulated to achieve a happy ending for the propagandists attempting to control and fleece the sheep. Yesterday, the government produced retail sales numbers for August that were weak and the corporate MSM propaganda machine immediately threw up bold headlines declaring how strong these numbers were. Positive stories were published on the interwebs and Wall Street hack economists were rolled out on CNBC, where the bubble headed bimbos and prostitutes for the status quo like Jim Cramer and Steve Liesman declared the recovery gaining strength. Woo Hoo.
If everyone else is whipping out that credit card, why aren’t you? Credit card debt has reached a new post recession high. They tell me consumer confidence is soaring. Forget about the 92 million working age Americans supposedly not in the labor force. Forget about real household income hovering at 1999 levels. Forget about median household net worth still 30% lower than 2007. Forget about what you see with your own two eyes in malls, strip centers and office parks as you motor around our suburban sprawl empire of debt. Those Store Closing, Space Available, and For Lease signs mean nothing.

I didn’t get a chance to peruse the commerce department drivel until this morning. They put out unadjusted data and adjusted data. Shockingly, the adjusted data is always rosier than the unadjusted data. I wonder why? I can understand the rationale for adjusting month to month data due to holidays and calendar events. But I still don’t trust the adjustments. There should not be a major difference when comparing year over year data. The adjusted data should reflect the same relationship to the unadjusted data on a year over year basis. Well guess what? It appears our friendly government drones may be pumping the current data to give the appearance of recovery. Here are my observations after taking a look at the government propaganda report:
- The unadjusted retail sales were only 3.2% higher than last August. Considering government reported inflation of 2%, that is a pretty shitty result. But have no fear. The “ADJUSTED” retail sales for August were 5.0% higher than last August. WTF? Guess which number gets reported to the sheep?
- Hysterically, your government drones consider lending deadbeats $40,000 for seven years with no money down to drive away with a GM deathtrap SUV as a retail sale. The billions in subprime auto loans led to an 8.8% YoY surge in “ADJUSTED” auto sales. It seems the unadjusted number only went up 5.3%.
- When you back out the Federal Reserve/Wall Street pumped auto sales, which will ultimately result in billions of written off bad debt (you’ll pick up the tab), unadjusted retail sales were only 2.7% higher than last August. With real inflation of 5% or more, real retail sales are negative on a year over year basis.
- Despite financing deals of 4 years with no interest, furniture and electronics retail sales were flat versus last August. If there really is a housing recovery and 2.1 million more Americans are employed versus last August how could these discretionary sales be flat, and negative on an inflation adjusted basis?
- Grocery store sales were up only 2.1% over last year. Even the government is reporting 2.7% food inflation in the last year. We all know it is closer to 10%, so people are actually reducing the amount of food they are buying. That is a sure sign of an economic recovery.
- Clothing store sales were flat and department store sales were negative versus last August. So much for the back to school storyline. I do believe August is back to school time. The Sears and JC Penney Bataan Death March trudges toward bankruptcy.
- What did surge was sales at restaurants and bars. They soared by 6.8% versus last August. We already know Darden, Yum Brands and McDonalds have reported dreadful results, so either the government is lying, soaring food prices are being passed on to customers, or people are so depressed by this awesome economic recovery they are drinking themselves into a stupor.
As a side note on the accuracy of this government data, in a previous role at IKEA, when I was a much younger man, I was responsible for filling out the monthly government retail surveys for the Census Bureau. The government drones collecting this data do not check it. They do not require proof that it is right. It is self reported by retailers across the country. Filling out this crap for the government was about as low on my priority list as whale shit. If I was really busy, I’d make the numbers up, scribble them on the form and put it in the mail. The numbers the government are accumulating are crap. And then they massage the crap. And then they publish the crap as if it means something. It’s nothing but crap.
When you see the headlines touting strong retail sales, you need to consider what you are actually seeing in the real world. RadioShack will be filing for bankruptcy within months. Wet Seal will follow. Sears is about two years from a bankruptcy filing. JC Penney’s turnaround is a sham. They continue to lose hundreds of millions every quarter and will be filing for bankruptcy within the next couple years. Target and Wal-Mart continue to post awful sales results and have stopped expanding. And as you drive around in your leased BMW, you see more Space Available signs than operating outlets in every strip center in America.
My anecdotal proof of this relentless slow motion retail trainwreck is twofold. We received our second 30% off discount coupon from Kohl’s in the last three weeks. We are so indifferent to these constant offers that we didn’t even use the first one. I have to wear dress clothes to work every day, so I went over to Kohl’s this morning when they opened at 8:00 am to get some dress shirts and pants.
The parking lot was an oasis of empty spots and there were maybe 5 customers in the entire store. I went to the mens’ section and was shocked to see about two dozen 60% to 80% off racks. There are usually two or three racks. The store was overflowing with summer merchandise. Summer is over. The store should have been overflowing with Fall merchandise. They are clearly in the midst of an inventory disaster. I found excellent dress shirts on the 70% off rack. Everything I bought was at least 50% off, even before my 30% coupon and another $10 menswear coupon.
I live in a relatively upscale suburban area and still this Kohl’s is an absolute disaster. Their gross margin is going to be hammered. Profits are going to implode. Kohl’s has always been a favorite retailer of the middle class. Decent quality at reasonable prices. Their comp store sales were between positive 5% and 15% for years, until the 2008 financial collapse. Their struggles since then coincide with the decline of middle class incomes and the fake jobs recovery. The fact that they are spiraling downward flies in the face of the propaganda being spewed by the government and media.There is no recovery for the average American.
My second data point happened on Thursday. An accident on the Turnpike forced me to take Lincoln Drive and Germantown Pike home from work (1 hour and 55 minutes of agony). I hadn’t taken this route in about six months. Germantown Pike winds through the Chestnut Hill section of Philly. This is an artsy fartsy area with boutique retail, chic outlets, and fancy restaurants. The upper middle class frequents the area. The retail stores were always open, occupied and busy.
Not anymore. I saw dozens of empty storefronts, Space Available, and For Lease signs. The open stores had no customers. The trendy eating establishments had few patrons. Even the yuppie latte drinking areas are beginning to crumble. Every office park I passed had Space Available signs in front. The amount of vacant retail and office space in this country is too vast to comprehend and is being under-reported by the real estate whores whose job it is to rent space. Ignoring the facts and the truth doesn’t change the facts and the truth.
Do you believe the government and the corporate media, or do you believe your own two eyes?
You can ignore the government reported happy talk. When retailers and restaurants report their actual sales and profits, the truth shall be revealed. It will set you free.
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Cheap interest rates... And over zealous lenders
The only retail in the DC suburbs that are doing really well seems to be the high end retailers. The higher end the better. There are enough people who have piles of money to spend and they are richer than ever, but the masses aren't spending. The Kohls around here are not too different from the ones described in the article, although I have to admit I never visit such stores during peak hours.
The Kohls have massive 70% and 80% off racks here too, but the last time I was there I had to spend hours to hunt through all that stuff and find what I wanted. Around here they give out $10 off coupons instead of 30% off.
I am spending less on stuff as well, but that is mainly because I don't need any more crap. More on entertainment and convenience, less on crap.
I went from making well over 100K a year to well under 30k ! Involved in two car wrecks, neither my fault. Left arm is shit. Can't lift much over ten lbs with it ! In court withy own insurance company because the wreck that shot my left arm was a hit and run. Lawyer told me to file for SS disability insurance ! I told him my brain isn't damaged! I now sell home improvements in home. Lots of broke or crap credit homeowners out there! Empty billboards everywhere here in Chicago land and this is he land of big bill boards. Empty commercial and industrial property everywhere. I live in a "nice " suburb. There are still 2 or 3 new forclosures in my neighborhood every month . Lots of empty bank owned houses still! It is all broken . I haven't bought any new clothes in 5 years except underwear ! I don't care. I have a mortgage and no other debt. Charge card offers in the mail every week just like pre 2008! Big kaboom coming soon. Are you not entertained ???? You will be soon enough !!'n
I hope you sued the s**t out of them (the parties at fault) and made sure their lives were made a living hell. Was it some 20 something texting or having one eye on his Iphone while driving?? In incidents like that I would let street justice take its toll -- forget the lowball payout from the insurance company.. I would be calling & calling the party at fault and put at least a scare into them and dare them to file harassment charges
i'm not sure what to make of closed storefronts. Storefront businesses are easy targets for local government predation - code-enforcement fines are a tempting revenue source. And, due to the nature of government, if businesses start closing because owners tire of the abuse, they will just lean that much more heavily on the businesses that remain.
The mall I grew up going to has replaced a bunch of good, decent stores with shops doing massages, nails, cheap jewelry, cellphone covers, tattoos, and pretzels.
And is 1/4 empty.
Cash businesses. No uncle sam.
I think it was Fred Reed who wrote that the USA was always a lower-middle class nation with an upper-middle class income. That was before 2008. Now the income is matching the social values.
So now you have MMA fighters as celebrities, everyone has tattoos, everyone looks like, or is, a coked out, meth mouthed, trailer park white trash, MMA wanna be. You know how Linkin Park and all those late-90's testosterone bands sounded like charactures of a fictional America? That America now exists.
The only businesses are all lower class - pawn shops, cash for gold, pay day loans, check cashing, nail salons, tattoo parlours, massage parlours, marijuana stores, dollar stores, cheap junk, cellphone stores and associated junk.
Everyone is fat, but everyone drives a $50k SUV on 97 months payment plans.
The next downturn will be truly catastrophic and the deficit will explode to 2Tn or more.
This is sad and depressing if you actually liked the USA, but now it's going to be dangerous for humans because empires NEVER go quietly or nicely away.
"That was before NAFTA"
FIFY
Ross Perot...we hardly knew yee!!
Gawd you are so right. Remember when you had to look clean, pressed, and use decent language to get a job? One of the reasons I rarely eat out is that I just don't care to be served by someone with an ugly tattoo winding up their arm or on their neck. Hate them! But here's the real problem the Gubbermint pays for the reproduction fun of the low lifes. Men don't have to actually pay for their reproductive fun; women are better off without them because the benefits are higher.
But all these people have G-whatever for their smart phones, cable teleivsion with all the channels including Showtime and HBO.
As to the marijuana stores, the mottor in the marijuana legal states is "drug 'em and stupe 'em." The marijuana docs are just the new Florida pill mills. If marijuana is supposed to be "medical" then why do the marijuana docs write thousands of prescriptions for it every week? A regular doc might write three or four a week; these docs should have their liscenses taken away for being "legal" drug dealers.
The biggest joke is that marijuana makes everyone so happy (the hollywood premise of every other movie). Nope. Know a guy who is a pretty nice guy when his system cleans out of marijuana after a couple of months, but with marijuana? Very nasty.
Lastly, when the black community whines about not enough black police officers? Take a look in the mirror, guys. How many black young men have been thrown under the bus by the rap community and have tattooed themselves into a no-job oblivion? How many can pass the drug tests? How many use English rather than Eubonics? Course the last one is the problem of the school systems. Did you hear the teachers from Chicago speak when they were on strike? None of them spoke proper English. They all sounded like hood rats themselves. 50% drop out rate in Chicago and the other 50% are just plain dumb. No cop material there.
ZOMG, you are so right.
Go pull up old talk shows with tv studio audiences.
Look at how everyone dressed.
70's, 80's, 90's, late 90's and now...
Most people dress like children. Tennis shoes, jeans and a baggy t-shirt not tucked in. Obama began to wear open collared shirts, no tie, so now everyone on TV does the same. No one dresses like an adult.
Hell, people used to wear SUITS just when flying. Now no one wears a suit, and you get mocked if you do.
No more adults in America.
I dont think Washington DC sees it. they have hired like crazy and the pay and benefits second to none. Even the Nationals are doing well. A couple I know bringing in over 450k from Govt. jobs. He is an attorney and writes language for laws and she does environental work. Both in their 40s. Set for life with retirements that will be 75% of pay and benefits and total job security. Just incredible. Both live in Florida and he flys in every week.
For minorities the GOVT state/federal has turned into a cradle to grave security job. In ATL they mostly higher blacks and there was a recent suit filed against one ATL county/city complaining about the hiring of only blacks and their familiy and friends. Look at ATL city Govt and you will see hardly any diversity.
The reality of this union:
Texas gets 0.94 cents back for every dollar it contributes to federal tax revenue.
DC gets 5.50 back for every dollar it contributes to federal tax revenue.
You are so right, but one addition. The government is hiring foreigners and placing them in government jobs to hide them from you. Kinda like the homeland security guy who had the hate whites site. Post office? Ain't no whites to be seen anywhere.
Spent some time looking at the jobs on the Veteran's Administration site a short while back. Unbelievable pay and benefits. Unbelievable and they hire the worst people. So you wonder why the vets are being killed off? Can't pay for the vets and give these benefits to the low lifes!
Lastly, sorry to say this because I support the police department. Know a cop on "disability" who also receives full retirement benefits. Now if you are on "disability" that means you can possibly come back to work? Fraud fraud and more fraud. Communism is all about getting yours while you can.
Well here in eastern Massachusetts (which is the part east of I 495) things are certainly booming, there is commercial & retail construction everywhere. When I stop off at the mall on a weeknight the stores are packed, as well as Target outside Boston where you see all these college kids spending that student loan money (and daddys credit card) on overpriced junk. Mommy & Daddy probably think Obama walks on water and their only news sources are CNN, NPR & Huffington Post.
Rents in this region are almost at the same level as the area around NYC (Long Island, North & Central Jersey & Fairfield Cty CT)... Very hard to find any type of rental in any town for less than $2,000 a month, although I lucked out and settled on a 2 bed/2 bath townhouse in Concord MA for $1950 a month but the commute is 60-90 minutes each way by car.. The cheapest home in this area is around $750,000 which would probably be a torn town and a McMansion with stainless steel appliances and all the other shit would be built on that plot of land
Its all the new investor visas in the country. The northeast lets rich people in from all over the world in to drive up prices.
In my lifetime whereas retail used to be promote promote promote dump promote dump floor floor floor promote dump dump,
it's now floor floor floor promote dump floor floor floor dump promote dump hope our GM doesn't pull a Robin Williams
Read Barnaby Rudge. Retail means "take that broken rat sculpture and put a tail back on it." Re-tail.
Spent $126 at Kohls today. One sports coat, one pair of dress shoes and 2 dress slacks. Used the 30% off everything coupon and sports coat was already marked down 70%. The shoes 60% and the slacks 50%. In my store it was less busy than normal but 4 lines with at least 3 patrons in each line.
Stateside.
Walmart stopped expanding? That is good news.
So the take away is don't sell my rifle yet because the end is nigh.
If it wasn't for EBT - Wal Mart would probably be losing money.
Great posts throughout. First time I hav read everything front to finish on ZH in a while. Thanks all for the great commentary.
The other day i went shopping at a nursing home. Then I realized it I was at Walmart.
Last time I went there during the day it was difficult to maneuver the isles with a cart due to all those loaner electric carts. You can't go around them and those assholes want to look at every item in every isle.
There is no retail anymore. What we call retail is simply a front operation for transferring money from middle- and lower-class people to the one percent and the shareholders; in other words, a "dollar mine," as I once saw another commenter put it. This was an inevitable consequence of the fact that stores are no longer locally owned and no longer have ties to the community.
Today's retailers do no care a damn about their product, their employees, or their customers. You're just supposed to amble mindlessly through the aisles and then hand over your money to sullen, disengaged clerks (or worse yet, automatic kiosks) in exchange for overpriced garbage. This business model natually had a built-in limitation. It's no wonder people are starting to unplug from the shopping experience.
The wonder is that it lasted as long as it did, and the answer to that riddle can be found in the word "overpriced" in the discription above. As long as the Keynesian Kool-Aid and globalist juices were flowing and making everybody feel wealthier, customers were content to put up with the shitty service and the gutting of local economic relationships because they were, generally speaking, just as disengaged and indifferent themselves. Now that the bills for all that imprudent behavior are coming due, people are starting to wake up and realize the empty, ugly, inhuman envirnoment they've built around themselves.
Shitty big-box retail outlets stuffed with Chinese crap, bestial consumers, and ignoramus employees, each factor in its own way working mindlessly to shuttle more dollars into the great American Ponzi, is one of the highest and purest symbols of the culture we inhabit. It is emblamatic of the failure of our resolve, the bankruptcy of our ideals, and the end of our age.
+1,000. Great post.
Very astute post.
I now have a long list of old iconic American brands that used to sell great stuff and now sell Ching-a-ling shit. The thing is, as their quality collapsed, the prices have gone up, not down. The C-level executive suite filth and major shareholders (the 1/10 of 1%) are siphoning these gains into their offshore accounts.
I think retail is collapsing because people are done paying serious bucks for shit that's defective right out of the box.
They are turning to the Depression era mantra: Use it up, wear it out, make it do, do without.
Your post is spot on - and it is good to hear that others feel the same way.
About 7 years ago I needed to buy a suitcase and wanted to get one made in the USA. Well.... it was an undertaking to try and find anything that was made here. I found 1 Hartman style that was made here - saw it online so went to Marshall Fields and checked it out. It was really well-made and durable and looked like it would last a lifetime. All the other styles of Hartman were not made here, just this "Wings" collection. I didn't want to spend that much for luggage, but since I would keep it forever and it would support workers here, I broke down and bought it from Horchow, who had a one day sale, save x% sitewide.
It arrived via FedEx and when I looked at the stickers, it said MADE IN CHINA (website had indicated made in US). It wasn't anywhere near the quality of the one in the store, which must have been an old floor model (made in US tags). The hardware was cheaper looking and scratched and overall it wasn't finished well. I sent it back immediately. I was upset, so I did a little research to see if Hartman had been sold, as I had seen similar things happen to several furniture brands. Well, lo and behold CARLYLE had bought them and no doubt offshored the rest of the manufacturing. They had been made in Lebanon, TN.
Screw all these hedgefunds and private equity groups who think they can sell low-quality shit, by putting the iconic quality brand name on it. Buyer Beware.
"They are turning to the Depression era mantra: Use it up, wear it out, make it do, do without."
That's what my mom always says, and I'm adopting a similar mindset. I've been out of work for a while and I'm using my time off to declutter. I just got sick of carting around books I don't read, clothes I don't wear, CDs I don't listen to anymore because they're all on Spotify, etc. Not that I have any money to spend really, but when I'm thinking about buying something, I write the name of the item down, read tons of reviews and watch Youtube reviews; 9 times out of 10, I end up not buying it (especially if I can get it from the library or rent it instead). I'm going to keep doing this even when/if I get a job...
All this matters for the employees of the stores but it, otherwise, doesn't hurt the American worker because EVERYTHING IS MADE OVERSEAS! How were these stores suppose stay in business anyway if American workers aren't making the goods? "Service jobs" are supoosed to fix this? What an effin' laugh.
We're to the end point of unsustainable policies of 5-6 decades by government and the stupid American citizen that, in large measure, discounted his and her way out of their own job.
All the while shifting their disposable cash on $100+ per month "smart" (lol) phone contracts and often multiples of that for the rest of their online and "being connected" activities. And they've convinced themselves this is a form of prosperity. Sooner or later the truth hits everyone. ...and its getting late.
China has its ghost cities and we have our ghost stores. Nevertheless Im going to check out the super price cuts at Kohls.
Ghost stores Ghost Malls
I agree with the article and most of the observations made by other posters. It is late and I feel overwhelmed by the sense of doom, again.
Friend took recent trip to USA after 13 years away. Empty shopping malls, everyone is fat, everything too expensive.
To 1) continue with the absurd notion that there is a USA and 2) that your friend saw it, is a lie.
Certainly a great many of the human beans in the STATES, some STATES, are obese, but to say EVERYONE is fat is ridiculous.
Your friend has presented you with a narrow view of the geography he/she saw.
That's beside the point that our retail shops, from the single variety store owned by a single person all the way up to the international chains, have 'channel stuffed' the retail space with so much of just about every conceivable product known to man, that it's easy to get dizzy from the wanton excess.
There should be a shakeout in retail, as there should be in Investment Banks, Teachers, prisons, politicians, lawyers, restaurants, and college and professional sports.
However, the shakeout will reverberate all thru the economies of several countries dependent upon U.S. consumption at enormously high rates.
And it's coming. When is the problem. And how to play it. Shorting J.C. Penney is not working out for me yet.
Speed (addrall, dexedrine ) is prescribed to keep people thin(even if you don't have ADHD but can convince doctor to prescribe it)..
Oh fuck you and your ''no one can make an observation or value judgment'' bullshit.
Mon dieu!
Been saying for years that we never left the recession.
We're in a depression, you just don't see it because the soup lines have been replaced by EBT cards.
EBT is run, of course, by JP Morgan.
Online shopping for one. And two,way to many stores. Places like CT, East Mass and Manhattan do not represent the country.
Definitely the retail model is getting to be a bit outdated, for some products it doesn't seem like retail can compete with online sales. For instance, I'm an avid gamer and I havent bought any games since around christmas of last year at a retail store like radio shack or best buy etc. The sales and prices offered online through Microsoft or Sony or whatever tend to be a lot lower than in store, and you can complete the whole ordeal in your living room, no need to spend the time and gas etc going to the store. No wonder Radio shack is going out of business... but this one has been a no-brainer for a while they aren't even on a level playing field with big box stores like best buy.
In the most recent quarter Walmart had $120 billion in revenue, $4 billion in Net Profit and $5.9 billion in operating cash flow. They paid out $1.9 billion in dividends.
Only in this crazy world would anyone call this a "Retailer in Deep Trouble".
With all of the growth that is still happening in China, you might be surprised to see the amount of decay as well. There are virtually entire cities of industrial parks that are vacant and overgrown ... still they build and new industry comes in.
When the Supply of Goods & Services exceedeth the Demand of the Citizens to acquire such things, Governments are instituted among Men to maketh up a present reality that does not instil fear in the People that Economic Malaise shall continue forever. Furthermore, Credt & Coin shall be made available to all who draw breath, without respect for the economic condition of their Household. Should circumstances merit, Shillings ought to be carried by horseback or other means of conveyance, in great enough supply, that they be flung into the streets & homes of every town in the Several Colonies to ignite passion in the consumption of Goods & Services; and doing thusly, Deflation Shall Never Happen Here.
Maybe because the Merchandise in many of these stores (that are not doing well) sucks with poor selection, cheaply made crap.
OTOH, Marshalls is constantly packed with people using the store provided shopping carriages to buy hundreds of dollars it seems of designer clothes made in China and tacky home goods..
Someone needs to tell Jim about the foodie/craft beer trend of the past several years. People are shunning chains (Darden) for more local, fresher, higher-quality food. Also that's pretty much all yuppies do these days (eat and drink), so the numbers make sense to me.
Drive around this country for some time. All you see are retail outlets - we need to build things again instead of just selling other country's shit.
If minimum wage get jacked to $15/hr. the ultimate collapse of these big businesses will happen fast.
Policy makers have no idea how many negative externalities they create or they just don't care.
Ayn Rand was spot on about the US Govt when she wrote Atlas Shrugged - it just took 50 years for her vision to become clear for the rest of us.
Both my wife and I retired in the last few years and more than once in the last 6 months we have sat down and talked about what to do with the excess amount of clothes that fills our closets. A few days back she said “…I haven’t shopped for clothes in a year and this closet is still filled to overflowing with work and play clothes. I don’t think I will ever need to go clothes shopping again…” That was a pretty big confession from a once a week go to the mall clothes shopper a few years back when she was working full time.
I suspect there are countless more baby boomer retirees, out there, like my wife who has stopped clothes shopping shortly after they retired. I do the budgets and we have cut way back in areas like new car buying (make it last 10 years), gasoline usage (even with many trips our gas usage is half), clothes (15% of working years just to replace worn out items), specialty retail (down 65% because we limit how often we buy items), food (down 35% because we make it ourselves – we limit pre-prepared) and minor repair expenses (down 40% because I can now do most of it myself). These savings have been shifted to eating out (we spilt all meals) and travel. Most other items are the same. So I can see if there are more retirees being added each day like us it could add up to a sizeable dent in the economy unless more jobs are being created to fill our shoes….
Ordinarily I am quite skeptical of retail's prospects. But I cannot agree 100% with Jim.
I live in boom/bust Florida, and specifically in central Pasco County, a collection of bedroom communities north of Tampa which has traditionally had limited retail options.
First, let me ask, who expects a Kohl's to be hopping at 8AM? That aside, what I note around here is:
1. A brand new Lowe's going up at US41 and SR54. We've been waiting years for it.
2. Duke Energy is migrating a cell tower and substation across the street away from a site with prime retail frontage potential to a much more awkward (zero frontage due to CSX rail in the way) behind a lumberyard a stone's throw away. The way will be cleared for some sort of fast food.
3. Across the street from Lowes the Village Square shopping center, which had looked moribund only a couple of years ago after losing Wal-Mart to a newly constructed Super Wal-Mart nearby ... has reinvented itself by dividing the space into a You-Fit and Bealls Outlet, with a third tenant expected soon. Toward the other end the plaza lost Sweetbay supermarket as it merged into Winn-Dixie, and was able to quickly secure a Ross to replace 2/3 of it, with a smaller bay now in buildout for another store. The Goodwill store has been replaced by Aaron's rental. Ichiban Chinese Buffett did close and has not yet been replaced.
4. The nearby Big Lots plaza has lost Bealls Outlet and the Red Hydrant grooming salon recently, but both relocated nearby. In the same plaza though, it looks like 7-11 will soon throw in the towel ... they have sold their still-operating corner site.
5. Up SR 54 a couple miles to the east, 7-11 has sold another corner, but that is across Livingston Rd. from a newly built RaceTrac that is a palace in comparison, with an in-store bakery and frozen yogurt shop.
6. In between, a community center with a K-Mart and Radio Shack soldiers on. And still farther east, a new Chick-Fil-A is going in where SR54 becomes SR56 (as the first part of the interminably-delayed Cypress Creek Town Center) and across I-75 from that it appears a new auto dealership is being built near the year-old Mini dealership.
Now if I travel about 100 miles to Winter Haven and Cypress Gardens Blvd (near Legoland, which has been in operation a couple of years), I'm seeing a near explosion. With a notable exception, sleepy and dilapidated strip centers and community centers are on the upswing.
7. Taco Bell just built right outside the gate, Ruby Tuesday is there too, as is a Perkins still in operation and something new is going in behind it. The Big K-Mart at that location is closing, perhaps due in no small measure to a sinkhole that is not yet entirely remediated having opened in the parking lot. That'll ruin your day. The Publix there seems unaffected.
8. Up the street a bit, the Golden Corral is adding about a dozen feet to its dining room, you'll find Tijuana Flats and Wendy's and an outpad in front of one of the shopping centers being graded for a new addition.
9. As you get closer to downtown Winter Haven on CG Blvd, a Krystal has been there just a couple of years, there is a Burger King in good shape, McDonalds, another Taco Bell, as well as a newish Red Lobster, brand new Starbucks and Chick-Fil-A and a couple of others I can't think of at the moment.
Location. Location. Location.
Oh, and our nearest Kohls? It seems to be benefiting mightily from the newly built St. Josephs Hospital North that has been built right next door.
I won't get into all the detail, but US19 in New Port Richey 20 miles to our west was a horror show a few years back, even losing a Target. And while there is a dead Service Merchandise that has been rotting there since the late '90s and some other significant vacancy, I was quite surprised when I was over there a few months ago to find significant evidence of a comeback.
I am not saying that any of what I've seen is sustainable ... I am not privy to anybody's numbers or traffic counts. I just wanted to provide a counter-perspective.
after I read "anecdotal proof", I stopped reading.