There
are many of us that fondly remember Lechmere.
Actually,
it’s almost a crazy admission, since most people that read this
will likely not recall it even existed. It was more of a reginal
entity, never really expanding much beyond the borders of New
England.
Still,
Lechmere for me was a great store. It contained a bit of everything,
and I actually can remember shopping at one in my home town for
some of the stuff that would make its way to my first college
dorm room. A few Lechmere purchases are in my home right now.
Lechmere
went out of business when its parent company—a name you are more
likely to know, Montgomery Ward—reorganized in a 1997 bankruptcy.
I
wouldn’t call my memories of this next store a fond reminiscence,
but I also remember Ames. Think of Walmart, downshift, and you’ll
be in the right frame of mind for this chain. It wasn’t a bad
store, usually filling a convenient need in a community though
not making a statement as the first option for any purchase. I
shopped there on a pretty consistent basis, but from a customer
perspective wasn’t too surprised or disappointed when it closed
around 2002.
How
many stores can you think of that have come, gone, lasted or turned
over that have made some type of memorable connection with you?
We all know stores close, but at times it seems as though many
shut their doors and no one notices it happen. We could think
about G. Fox turning to Filene’s and then to Macy’s. How about
Zayre? Some sting, some don’t, and some leave us numb.
Rather
than meandering aimlessly along the path, let’s shift a bit.
This
morning I was unpacking some boxes, and I happened to find a few
items in a bag. A bag from Waldenbooks.
Waldenbooks
went out of business in 2011. I’m guessing the last Waldenbooks
I set foot in was at the Warwick Mall in Rhode Island. (But that’s
just a guess.) It was long before 2011 that I made my last visit.
Malls
are becoming wastelands of sorts. While my numbers are likely
off (and I have no scientific research invested in this claim),
it seems as though for any mall in my memory that I can name,
there is another I remember that currently stands virtually empty.
While images in my mind are a bit rusty, as I seem to think that
in my travels of youth, if not a Waldenbooks inside the local
mall offerings included B. Dalton or Borders. (Both of those are
now closed as well.)
Now,
I know, I haven’t given you any new information by telling you
that stores go out of business. Nor is it all that shocking to
hear that malls are struggling. We all know. Is it possible though,
that the Waldenbooks bag in my basement today will… figuratively…
become an Amazon box in my garage tomorrow?
We
all know the Amazon box. We can picture it clearly in our heads,
a to z, smiley face. I’m guessing more than a few of those boxes
will be used to pack things away for years of safekeeping. For
those that say Amazon is here to say, and chances are good they’re
here for quite a while, my response would be to direct your attention
to Sears. Check out that history and get back to me about the
security of forever in retail.
Somehow,
these stores never seem to really leave us. They make their mark,
time moves on, and we’re left with a slightly adjusted history.
Does anyone really remember a day without Walmart around? When
was the last time you were inside of a Kmart?
Change
is inevitable. Sounds obvious, but the deeper realities are seldom
acknowledged. To get customers, new businesses will always be
trying to take old formats and covert them into new and improved
experiences. A dash of technology and a splash of creativity,
mixed with advancements in other areas… Sears and Kmart and Lechmere
are out… Walmart and Amazon are in… time moves along with a slight
tinge of nostalgia to serve as a bookmark.
I
have Craftsman tools purchased in a brick-and-mortar Sears. I
have an assortment of things in a Waldenbooks bag. I have some
Amazon boxes. And time marches on.