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#71
Shopping Cart Sightings / Re: More Ocean State Job Lot F...
Last post by Retail Regents - July 05, 2024, 10:05:41 PMQuote from: BillyGr on July 05, 2024, 04:46:07 PMQuite interesting that they got some from Ann & Hope (though maybe being in that area it makes sense, and/or they are in a building(s) that that chain was once in, also a possibility).
It is more of a geographical thing. Whenever I find a cart from a defunct retailer, the store I find it in was never that retailer. The ex-CTS/A&H cart has the serial number "ST40893" on the bottom. Perhaps the last two digits are the year it was made?
P.S. The big green United Steel & Wire carts shown several threads ago are ex-Pat Catan's units. While the logos were filed off, I was able to piece together the first three letters through the file job on one of the logo panels (PAT).
#72
Shopping Cart Sightings / Re: More Ocean State Job Lot F...
Last post by BillyGr - July 05, 2024, 04:46:07 PMQuote from: Retail Regents on July 04, 2024, 05:53:31 PMWent to the Troy store today. Yes, those blue Christmas Tree Shops ones were there (of course bearing Ann & Hope labeled handles), as well as some smaller blue Rehrigs that were original Ann & Hope (Outlet) carts and an all-plastic Toys R Us SuperCart. And you can easily guess where the orange one came from.
Guess I should actually look at their carts once in a while ;)
(Seem to usually just grab a small basket when I am there).
Quite interesting that they got some from Ann & Hope (though maybe being in that area it makes sense, and/or they are in a building(s) that that chain was once in, also a possibility).
#73
Television / Re: Videos of Russian supermar...
Last post by TheFugitive - July 05, 2024, 03:12:48 PMWatched another one of these videos which showed the Grand Opening of a DA! Supermarket. Da is the Russian word for yes. It's a locally owned discount grocer that looks suspiciously like an Aldi.
It had largely the same layout and even an Aldi Finds section down the center aisle.
The video's host panned the soft drink aisle and showed several Russian brands of cola that have come to dominate the market there due to sanctions. However, there were cans of Coca Cola on the shelf as well (at the equivalent of a dollar per can, substantially higher than the local brands). He pulled one from the shelf and turned it around. Much of the back of the can had been covered over with a label that gave nutritional info in Russian. However the original mark of the bottler was still visible, and it turns out that this Coca Cola had been imported from a local franchise bottler in ANGOLA (West Africa)!
The way in which stores from one country to the next have come to look the same, and the degree to which familiar products circulate around the globe (despite concerted efforts to stop them) is truly amazing. I wonder if when Pepsi shut off our deliveries at Ames when we couldn't pay the bills did Peter Hollis and the boys look into importing gray market Pepsi from Africa?
It had largely the same layout and even an Aldi Finds section down the center aisle.
The video's host panned the soft drink aisle and showed several Russian brands of cola that have come to dominate the market there due to sanctions. However, there were cans of Coca Cola on the shelf as well (at the equivalent of a dollar per can, substantially higher than the local brands). He pulled one from the shelf and turned it around. Much of the back of the can had been covered over with a label that gave nutritional info in Russian. However the original mark of the bottler was still visible, and it turns out that this Coca Cola had been imported from a local franchise bottler in ANGOLA (West Africa)!
The way in which stores from one country to the next have come to look the same, and the degree to which familiar products circulate around the globe (despite concerted efforts to stop them) is truly amazing. I wonder if when Pepsi shut off our deliveries at Ames when we couldn't pay the bills did Peter Hollis and the boys look into importing gray market Pepsi from Africa?
#74
Shopping Cart Sightings / Re: More Ocean State Job Lot F...
Last post by Retail Regents - July 04, 2024, 05:53:31 PMWent to the Troy store today. Yes, those blue Christmas Tree Shops ones were there (of course bearing Ann & Hope labeled handles), as well as some smaller blue Rehrigs that were original Ann & Hope (Outlet) carts and an all-plastic Toys R Us SuperCart. And you can easily guess where the orange one came from.
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#75
Other Current Retail / Re: Bob's Stores
Last post by TheFugitive - July 03, 2024, 09:57:30 AMBob's Stores has announced that they are liquidating and will close all of their stores.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/clothing-chain-bob-s-stores-closing-after-70-years/ar-BB1plpQV?ocid=BingNewsVerp
It will be a speedy liquidation as they plan to shutter them by July 14.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/clothing-chain-bob-s-stores-closing-after-70-years/ar-BB1plpQV?ocid=BingNewsVerp
It will be a speedy liquidation as they plan to shutter them by July 14.
#76
Other Current Retail / Re: Walgreens
Last post by TheFugitive - July 02, 2024, 08:52:50 AMLooks like the plan is for Walgreens to shrink their store count by 25%.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/walgreens-to-close-up-to-a-quarter-of-its-roughly-8600-us-stores/ar-BB1p0k3g?ocid=BingNewsVerp
Interestingly they are saying that they won't need to do mass layoffs as they expect most employees will accept positions at other Walgreens locations that remain open.
The ongoing labor shortages in the retail industry sure have changed all of the dynamics.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/walgreens-to-close-up-to-a-quarter-of-its-roughly-8600-us-stores/ar-BB1p0k3g?ocid=BingNewsVerp
Interestingly they are saying that they won't need to do mass layoffs as they expect most employees will accept positions at other Walgreens locations that remain open.
The ongoing labor shortages in the retail industry sure have changed all of the dynamics.
#77
Other Current Retail / Re: Walgreens
Last post by TheFugitive - June 27, 2024, 04:03:39 PMWalgreens stock plunged by more than 20% today as on their earnings call they gave a warning about shrinking profits in a "challenging customer environment".
https://www.cnbc.com/2024/06/27/walgreens-wba-earnings-q3-2024.html
Walgreens is expected to announce the closing of a significant number of stores shortly.
https://www.cnbc.com/2024/06/27/walgreens-wba-earnings-q3-2024.html
Walgreens is expected to announce the closing of a significant number of stores shortly.
#78
Other Current Retail / What A Bargain
Last post by Retail Regents - June 26, 2024, 05:23:24 PMSo within the past month or so the What A Bargain discount store got a new paint job inside, going from all-white walls to alternating red and black walls.
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#79
Current Restaurants / Re: Hooters
Last post by TheFugitive - June 25, 2024, 12:59:33 PMHooters announces the abrupt closure of dozens of locations, citing the tough economy.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/hooters-is-abruptly-closing-a-bunch-of-locations/ar-BB1oOQ2S?ocid=BingNewsSerp
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/hooters-is-abruptly-closing-a-bunch-of-locations/ar-BB1oOQ2S?ocid=BingNewsSerp
#80
Dead or Defunct Malls and Shopping Centers / Re: Century III FINALLY meets ...
Last post by TheFugitive - June 25, 2024, 09:38:18 AMHere is an investigative piece from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. It appears that whatever the reasons behind the ongoing urban decay saga of Century III they are not the result of the owners of Moonbeam Capital Partners being short on cash.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/editorial-century-iii-investigation-casts-light-on-blight/ar-BB1oGN07?ocid=BingNewsVerp
On the contrary it appears that they were living it up even as they dumped all of these problems into the laps of the local taxpayers.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/editorial-century-iii-investigation-casts-light-on-blight/ar-BB1oGN07?ocid=BingNewsVerp
On the contrary it appears that they were living it up even as they dumped all of these problems into the laps of the local taxpayers.