Free Republic

Upscale department-store chain Lord & Taylor and its owner, clothing rental startup Le Tote Inc., have filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The filing Sunday in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Richmond, Va., came less than a year after Le Tote bought the chain from Hudson's Bay Co. in a $100 million deal. Lord & Taylor has 38 locations in the U.S., according to the filing, and about 650 employees. Some of the stores, which have been closed since March due to the pandemic, reportedly had new "store closing" signs put up Sunday. Department stores have been particularly hard hit by the pandemic, and...

The bottom line is, there will be less choice for the consumer with the same merchandise being offered at all stores. It's the MacDonaldization of retailing. Where consistency trumps quality and selection, and low prices trumps service and a knowledgeable staff. There will be less variety in clothing since there will be fewer buyers making the choices. As a kid, I can recall when going downtown to shop used to be a special outing, almost an entertainment event. People actually used to get all dressed up to go "to the stores," believe it or not. Well-dressed ladies would lunch in...