I have three Wal-Marts near me with the furthest being only 7 miles. I have two Home Depots near me, one maybe 3 miles to the east and another 3 miles to the west as well a a Lowe's about a mile away.
Personally I think the closings are due to increased competition........
You are exactly right. Too many stores in one area means some will fall by the wayside.
As for empty shelves, I’m not seeing it. The only time I see empty shelves is at seasonal or holiday changeover time, and that’s temporary.
Roger that. Plenty of choices out there, all chasing the same dollar.
Last year, WalMart dropped a "Neighborhood Grocery" in our town. There are two other grocery stores (a lower-end one, and a higher-end one) and a "Dollar General" all within rock-throwing distance of it. And, there are two dozen or more WalMarts, KMarts, grocery stores, and five-and-dimes all within a 15 minute drive.
Business at the new WalMart store is doing pretty well. Business at the other, close grocery stores and Dollar General doesn't seem to have dropped off any either. My 10c diagnosis is that WalMart is just cannibalizing its own business. People who *were* driving to the next town over to go to the SUPER WalMart, are just staying local to shop at the "Neighborhood" one.
We will see.