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Memorial Day sales not enough to draw shoppers to Tampa Bay malls

 
Memorial Day sales weren't enough to draw shoppers to Tampa Bay area malls over the long weekend. 
[JUSTINE GRIFFIN | Times]
Memorial Day sales weren't enough to draw shoppers to Tampa Bay area malls over the long weekend. [JUSTINE GRIFFIN | Times]
Published May 30, 2017

TAMPA — Memorial Day sales at Tampa Bay area malls were not enough to compete with the beach and backyard barbecues this holiday weekend.

Even the busiest malls in Tampa, like Westshore Plaza and International Plaza, were mostly quiet on Memorial Day, which historically has been a boon for retailers who offer some serious seasonal sales over the long weekend.

"This is the busiest we've been all day," a store clerk at the Francesca's boutique in Westshore Plaza told me early Monday afternoon, when it was just me, her and one other customer in the store at the time. "I guess everyone is out at the beach."

Only one-third of shoppers said they'd be hitting the stores on Memorial Day this year, according to a study by ChargeItSpot, a company that provides cell phone charging stations at major retailers. The study surveyed over 700 shoppers, which showed that only 36 percent of respondents said they would shop over the holiday weekend.

"It is a bit surprising that, according to our data, more than half of respondents won't be taking advantage of Memorial Day sales," Douglas Baldasare, CEO and founder of ChargeItSpot, said in a statement. "The data could be attributed to shopper fatigue from the volume of sales happening all at once in the early summer months, including Mother's Day in May and Father's Day in mid-June."

Previous Coverage: What will fill the mall of the future? Probably not more department stores

It's been a tough couple of years for the retail industry. Online sales and innovative new tech players, from Amazon to app or online delivery services like Instacart or even Stitch Fix, have dramatically changed the way consumers shop. There's no need to drive to the mall to buy clothes, electronics, you name it, anymore. And big box retailers, from Target to Macy's, have struggled to adapt to the conveniences and speed of internet shopping.

But the troubles that plague brick and mortar retail seem to have accelerated in 2017. Fourteen retailers have filed for bankruptcy protection five months into the year — which is more than all of 2016. Sports Authority, Bebe, Payless Shoe Source, hhgregg, The Limited and Wet Seal, are among those we saw disappear in Tampa Bay. The number of retail jobs available across the country have dropped by the thousands since the beginning of the year, according to current labor statistics data.

And thus, big shopping holidays, from Black Friday to Memorial Day, seem to be shadows of their former selves. Every year, Black Friday crowds seem to be less and less as retailers spread out deals over what has become a four-day shopping weekend. Memorial Day half-off markdowns and buy-one, get-one deals did not appear to be enough to drive shoppers into the mall.

I found a parking space right up front outside Bay Street and RH at International Plaza on Monday, which is no easy feat on any given Saturday or Sunday. Nordstom buzzed with some activity as shoppers took advantage of the department store's half-yearly sale, which ends June 4. The rest of the stores in the mall were quiet, even ones with 50 percent off savings advertised on banners at the entrances.

"We got here early thinking the crowds were going to be horrible, but it's really quiet," said Robin Warekois, who lives in Tampa. She bought some lotion and a candle from Bath & Body Works Monday. "I didn't buy it online because I want to see and smell it. Plus it's an excuse to get out of the house."

She admitted she hadn't been to a mall to shop since March. Warekois was shopping with Connie Pike, who called the mall "a dying animal."

"I'm a dinosaur. I like to try stuff on," Pike says. "But people don't shop like me anymore."

Back at Westshore Plaza, the crowds were also thin. Except at Macy's, where shoppers buzzed through every department. Consumers who made a purchase that day would get a Macy's gift certificate that was valid for a couple of weeks.

But the overall shopping experience at Macy's has changed quite a bit over the years. Despite all the activity in the store on Monday, it was hard to find an employee at the Westshore store. I searched through the entire shoe department, men's clothing and finally women's clothing departments before I found an employee to price check a pair of sandals. I've written previously about Macy's staffing problems at other Tampa Bay area stores.

Previous Coverage: A rocky road ahead for Macy's stores in Tampa Bay

It's clear that Macy's is hurting and the in-store experience is suffering because of it. Macy's announced it would close more stores this year, including the one that recently shuttered at University Mall in Tampa. The department store has yet to find its sweet spot in between its recent focus on sales and coupons and selling higher-end designer brands. Sometimes, the stores are so disorganized because of picked through, seemingly never ending sales racks that you feel you're inside a T.J. Maxx instead of a full-line department store with a history of having quality clothes and well-known brands.

A lackluster turn out for Memorial Day may not be a make-or-break performance weekend for chain stores this year, but it definitely does not bode well for the rest of the year for brick and mortar retail.

Contact Justine Griffin at jgriffin@tampabay.com or (727) 893-8467. Follow @SunBizGriffin.