[Governor Dinwiddie]

Landlords have unrealistic expectations in an Amazon age. In my travels around the USA, I have never seen so much empty retail space: old downtowns, strip malls, real malls, stand alone stores. Everywhere. In today's climate, a shopkeeper is lucky to gross enough to pay his rent, let alone make a profit,so retail space goes begging.

There is going to be a coming shakeup in retail real estate. I know a lady who has a great idea for a business, the kind that can't be done on-line. Yet when she runs the numbers, the retail rents doom her before she starts. But the landlords would rather let empty retail space fester for years as eyesores rather than lower their rent.

[cyclotic]

What amazes me is when brick and mortar stores treat customers poorly.

A couple years ago, I got a pair of jeans from my mom for Christmas from Eddie Bauer. I didn’t like them and tried to return them.

I didn’t see anything else I liked and asked for a refund. I had a gift receipt. They told me they could only give a store credit.

I looked at the guy and asked just what the gift receipt was for if it wasn’t proof of purchase and eligible for a refund. I said, “Gee, retail stores are failed all over. Those that survive need to treat their customers a little better than Eddie Bauer does.” and walked out. My wife ended up getting something with the credit.

I had never shopped there before and certainly won’t again.