Amherst, NY — We’ve seen headlines all over the world about large store closings, the most recent of which has been the Christmas tree shop.
“We’re all just heartbroken. I’m crying in the hallway,” said store manager Tracy Morgan.
CTS joins Bed Bath & Beyond, Office Max, and select Best Buy stores on the list.
“So if everything is based on electronics, I don’t know if the electronics industry can survive,” Morgan said.
7 News goes beyond headlines to hear different voices. You will be contacted by:
- Shoppers from the town of Tonawanda
- UB Consumer Expert
- Real estate and economic development specialist
- local company
shopper
Taylor Epps
Out of necessity, Lenny Abbott stopped by the Christmas Tree Shops store on Niagara Falls Boulevard.
She had a $25 gift card that had to be used by July 20th as the store was going out of business soon.
“It was a shock. It was a big shock because every time we came here there was always a lot of customers. It was a regular place for a lot of people,” Abbott said.
She’s seen that change happening everywhere, but she’s not the biggest fan.
“I’m not an online shopper,” Abbott said. “I will do my best to continue shopping at retail stores as long as they exist.”
consumer expert
Taylor Epps
According to Charles Lindsey, an associate professor at the University of Buffalo, the landscape has been in motion for years, with three waves.
Wave 1: Overbuilding of shopping centers and malls in the 80’s and 90’s
2nd Wave: Amazon Effect Moves Shopping Online in the Early 2000s
Third Wave: Pandemic, more people online
Online spending accounts for about 25%, meaning most stores still make money from in-person shoppers.
“Retail is still the largest private sector employer in the United States, so it’s not going anywhere anytime soon, but it looks a lot different, just a little bit different than it used to be,” Lindsey said.
Lindsey says we need to be smarter and shop harder.
Use services such as Camel Camel Camel or Google Shopping to compare prices. Check out BOPUS deals in store, online, or both (buy online, pick up in store)
real estate expert
Taylor Epps
While some stores are closed, other stores in the same Niagara Falls Boulevard Plaza have full parking lots even during the daytime on weekdays.
“In a traditional, old market like Buffalo, people still love to see it, feel it, touch it, smell it,” says Jim Fink, a real estate and economic development expert. says Mr.
He expects Walden Galleria and Niagara Falls Fashion Outlets to survive, but said there are question marks around McKinley Mall.
So now the developers are making changes to the game.
“Farther away from traditional retail, more mixed-use, residential, senior housing, recreational, entertainment, this is the future,” Fink said.
local business
Taylor Epps
13 years old, the one-stop shop for all your red, white and blue needs is still alive and well.
Traffic is high and sales are strong, but things could get even better if the big stores close.
“It’s a perfect opportunity for us to get more traffic because they’re closing. We’re trying to buy American, help our neighbors, and make the case that we want to support them because they work here.” said purchasing director Robert Whalen. Wholesale Made in America.
The company is also unique in that its products are manufactured domestically, he says.
