I’m a fan of the internet, of course... but all these people who don’t care about losing retail - “so what, just buy it online” - fail to realize what a key element of the American economy retail has ALWAYS been.
How you want to shop isn’t the issue. It’s the opportunity for your kids to get that first job at a store.
Especially for people who can’t afford to go to college and business school, this is their first opportunity for high
schoolers to learn about work... to get a job on the resume... to show that you can be trusted to show up on time, deal with the public, become a jack of all trades (sales, stocking, cashiering, returns, shipping, etc)... to be trusted with handling money...
As retail dies, OPPORTUNITIES die.
An America without retail - an America where you buy almost everything online - is not America.
Unskilled work as a busboy, and gardener/lawn boy, elevated to salad girl, Coke vending machine restock & change at a country club, then banquet table setup, decorations, ran the CC dances, and wait staff. All in one year. OH, and met a drama teacher also working extra, Nick the Waiter, who encouraged me to try out for a part in high school play PETER PAN, where i was not one of the COOLKIDS, and had life changing attitude of being a PIRATE.
Part of who i am today, half century later. And started as a busboy.