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Death of Retail?

moresnow

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^^^ Self checkout was something I was thinking about in terms of how current retailers needs to adapt. I like the convenience and will shop at Home Depot and WalMart for that reason.
The robots are taking our jobs!
 

prsboogie

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The robots are taking our jobs!
It's not like kids today are rushing out to get these types of jobs. When I was in HS I couldn't wait to be old enough to get a part time job. I knew there were things I wanted and didn't want my parents paying for. I wanted to go to concerts and they didn't have the extra money for tickets and tee shirts (first show was $17). Also I wanted a car and my license which again there wasn't extra money around for this shit. Today kids can't be bothered with driving and that drives me nuts. Permitted on my 16th birthday and licensed two days after turning 16-1/2!

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benski

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It's not like kids today are rushing out to get these types of jobs. When I was in HS I couldn't wait to be old enough to get a part time job. I knew there were things I wanted and didn't want my parents paying for. I wanted to go to concerts and they didn't have the extra money for tickets and tee shirts (first show was $17). Also I wanted a car and my license which again there wasn't extra money around for this shit. Today kids can't be bothered with driving and that drives me nuts. Permitted on my 16th birthday and licensed two days after turning 16-1/2!

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It doesn't help the college application process has spiraled out of control. I don't think many kids wait to get there license. Those who wait seem to be mainly city kids who wouldn't drive anyway.
 

Jully

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Today kids can't be bothered with driving and that drives me nuts. Permitted on my 16th birthday and licensed two days after turning 16-1/2!

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I don't think many kids wait to get there license. Those who wait seem to be mainly city kids who wouldn't drive anyway.

Yeah wait what? What kids can't be bothered with driving these days? That's the exact opposite of how I would critique kids and driving these days haha.
 

Jully

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Aldi is a cool store. Really interesting business model. It's the one grocery store I don't mind going into. Mainly because you can get out of there fairly quickly. I read a competitor of theirs is coming stateside, Lidl...another German grocery chain.

I can shop for the week in 7 minutes, and I'm not exaggerating. It takes me 7 minutes to walk once through the vegetable section in the local stop and shop. I didn't have a problem with grocery stores until I started shopping at Aldi, now I get upset when I have to go into one.

I hadn't heard about a competitor, interested to hear how that will play out.
 

Glenn

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I'm going to keep an eye on it as well. Aldi has been taking business from some of the larger chains who sell groceries; specifically Wal-Mart.
 

SkiFanE

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One thing about Roche brothers is their service - they wheel out your carriage for you and load the car. If $ isn't an issue, I would love to shop there

I've been going to MB since 1990. I boycotted a few summers ago. Really no choice since they had nothing worth buying during it. But I was SO thankful they got bought by the "good" brother. My food bill nearly doubled. I was used to buying 3.99 wheel of Brie every week - at other store it was 8.99. Really had to put that in the "luxury" category - no way I'd pay that weekly. I read the MB book - good study on business practicies - suck businesses dry for owners - or be a loyal employer and community member and watch the business and $ come to you. Since MB was bought - prices have inched up in some things - but still so cheap. Brie is still $3.99 and LoL cheese is still $3+ more at S&S. I read the interest on loan is $2000/day per store. So they have to make that up somehow.
 

jack97

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The robots are taking our jobs!

They have and it's been going for quite some time. My high school home room teacher was the computer science teacher. He taught Basic, Cobol and Fortran to juniors and seniors. During homeroom or in my cs class, he told stories of how when he was a teenager, mid to big size companies would hire lots of workers just to add numbers in the finance dept. Although IBM (International Business Machine) was founded to build machines to perform these computational task, the cost was way too steep. It wasn't until the mid 70s that mainframes or the workstations built by DEC became affordable such that machines could replace the number adders. And then when the PC market undercut IBM and DEC then small business could streamline the finance dept to a skeleton crew.

Ever since Babbage ~ 1830s started work on a mechanical machine (engine) to perform computation, businesses have always looked for ways to reduce labor cost. I always tell my daughter this, if there's a remote chance or you see that your job can be replace by automation then it will. Its been like that since the industrial revolution.
 

prsboogie

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It doesn't help the college application process has spiraled out of control. I don't think many kids wait to get there license. Those who wait seem to be mainly city kids who wouldn't drive anyway.
I have 4 nephews and nieces all in the early 20s now and they had a fairly decent number of friends, say a total of 15, 2 of them had gotten their licenses asap the last to get hers was 20. A lot of the people I work with have older teenagers who were late getting their licenses with no real passion to get it other than the parents telling them they weren't going to continue carting their asses around. None of us live in a city where you can walk to get to everything you need.

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deadheadskier

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I have 4 nephews and nieces all in the early 20s now and they had a fairly decent number of friends, say a total of 15, 2 of them had gotten their licenses asap the last to get hers was 20. A lot of the people I work with have older teenagers who were late getting their licenses with no real passion to get it other than the parents telling them they weren't going to continue carting their asses around. None of us live in a city where you can walk to get to everything you need.

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I'm​ sure there are a number of factors contributing to this. For one, the cost of cars and insurance is way higher today than when we were kids. I don't think wages for first jobs have gone up at the same ratio. My first car cost $1200 and it was about $500 a year to insure as a teenager. I don't see too many $1200 cars for sale these days and I imagine the insurance is way higher for kids; even basic liability insurance on a clunker.

The other factor is I assume that many kids are less social today due to technology. They can "hang out" with all their friends via texting, social media etc. today. When we were kids you had to do the unthinkable. You physically had to go where your friends were to have social interaction! Otherwise you were stuck home alone watching TV.

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benski

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Older kids often don't want to drive to see friends since then they won't be able to drink. It has screwed me many times. I don't think people in New York put off getting there license unless they live in manhattan. I guess Boston area must be different.
 

dlague

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It doesn't help the college application process has spiraled out of control. I don't think many kids wait to get there license. Those who wait seem to be mainly city kids who wouldn't drive anyway.
College application process is out of control for sure.

Our kids are required to get their license since we make sure they have a job part-time albeit but a job. I think it builds responsibility and character. Our kids play sports and are involved in other activities as well. I think it is how kids are being raised that is the problem. Parents have gotten too soft.

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benski

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College application process is out of control for sure.

Our kids are required to get their license since we make sure they have a job part-time albeit but a job. I think it builds responsibility and character. Our kids play sports and are involved in other activities as well. I think it is how kids are being raised that is the problem. Parents have gotten too soft.

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And too concerned and afraid to let there kids make mistakes. I know kids who could get cell phones and facebooks till into sophomore year of high school. I bet most of the sat prep and extra curriculars go to waist. Any hobby or job counts as an extracurricular. Colleges say they just want to see that your busy and an interesting person. SAT are probably just an easy way to eliminate people who are way out of there league since they are really inaccurate.
 

andrec10

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Kids need to learn by mistakes. My son is turning 25 this week and is now a DR. of Physical Therapy making more than I do already. He Ski raced thru college and started when he was 8 and never gave it up. Only had a few podiums. Ski racing gives you thick skin. If he made a mistake, you fix it, not me or Mom. Some of these kids these days are being turned into PUSSIES! They need to stop being Babied! Rant Over...
 

darent

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As a high school coach I see the pampered kids and also the ones that get it.some of these kids are so spoiled and only think of what is good for them. No Idea of team dynamics.I think that the working two parent norm has put a lot of children on their own with little adult oversight.
 
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