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Comment by retrochameleon | Hacker News Reader

Optimistic take: Big box stores closing opens a gap for local stores to fill.

There's no equivilent stores to fill these spaces. local card shop? Pharmacy? clothes? Restaurant? What is succesful anymore in person?

We all know what will happen, as has happened over and over. Amazon or walmart distribution or fleet service location, OR cleared to make way for a hastily/shoddily put up "luxury apartment complex" made of plastic and plastic+.

Absolutely! There is a PMF for stores selling craft goods to hobbyists.

It's not a business model that can justify a cross national big-box store chain, but it can absolutely support local businesses who can better manage margins.

And this was a major reason why Joann's (and similar big boxes like Toys-r-Us or Borders) couldn't compete.

TBF Joann’s didn’t fail because of their business model. They failed because they were looted by private equity.

I have written a comment below on why this train of thought is reductive.

I get your point, but I also see, "Here, take our failed business segment and see what you can do with it".

Guessing too prices for fabric, etc. will be higher.

Pessimistic take: it opens a gap to Aliexpress, Temu and Amazon.

As others already pointed out, shopping for some types of things like this is just doesn't really work online when you need to feel and judge things with your hands.

I also noticed that lots of online stores have minimum order quantities.

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