[SamAdams76]

Malls had the "captive audience" effect working in their favor. The specialty stores could charge a bit more because malls were a destination. It wasn't like somebody was going to price a pair of jeans at the Gap and then fight the urban sprawl traffic to find them cheaper someplace else. People wanted to go to the mall and get all their shopping done there, with maybe a stop at the Orange Julius or Mrs Field's cookies at the food court.

The internet changed all that. Now people walk into the Gap, see a pair of jeans they like, maybe even try them on, and then order them online from their cellphones to be delivered to their house. Then they walk out of the store without buying anything.

[entropy12]

I an guilty of the exact same thing with golf clubs. Hit a few balls in the practice net at the big golf stores, then find a cheaper price on eBay.

[CodeToad]

Most retail stores don’t have anything. I buy online because the retail stores are out of everything.

Retail started dinging managers for having ‘excess” inventory that is taxed after the end of the year, so managers carry very little.