Why Are Brooklyn Chain Stores So Miserable? Here's Why


No wonder mom-and-pop shops do so well in Prospect Heights and beyond. Nobody can stand to shop at the Brooklyn branches of megachains such as Target (terrible service) or Costco (crowds from hell, service to match)! How could something so simple go so wrong? escap writes on the Prospect Heights Message Board:

“I’ve noticed that the quality of chains in NYC is horrid compared to its quality elsewhere in America… My guess is that it’s due to a combination of a poorly qualified workforce that lacks a culture and understanding of what good service really is, and a consumer body that is similarly undemanding, and in fact can provoke bad service by its own rudeness.”

“In addition, b/c there are so few large discount stores like Target, the ones that do make it in have very little competition and are therefore able to get away with such terrible service.”

doctorj adds: “I think the cost of retail space per sqft is a significant factor; trying to fit all that inventory into a fraction of the space without raising prices substantially leads to an overcrowded and chaotic chainstore shopping environment, as well as pressure to cut costs by cutting the number of workers per shopper.”

“I’ve seen this again and again comparing inner city vs. semi-rural stores in different countries. The higher the population density, the less space and service per shopper at a given price point.

More random retail insights on the Prospect Heights Message Board

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