Why did department stores stop being "special places"? -- What I thought after seeing the news of store closures [N+ Market]

Recently, there has been a series of news reports about department store closures.

In Yamagata Prefecture, Onuma, the only department store, closed, and since then, the number of "prefectures without department stores" has increased, including Tokushima, Shimane, and Gifu.

Changes are also happening in Tokyo.

In Shibuya, the Seibu department store is scheduled to close, and the Tokyu department store has already disappeared.

On the other hand, in Umeda, Osaka, the Hankyu Umeda main store still attracts many people.

In this article,

from that perspective, the value was being re-examined.

While reading this article,

I was thinking about something a little different.

It is not that department stores have disappeared.

When I was a child.

I looked forward to being taken to the department store by my parents on Sundays.

Eating a children's lunch at the restaurant on the top floor.

Looking at plastic models in the toy department.

My mother looking at the clothing department.

My father waiting somewhere.

It was a casual time.

But I still remember it vividly even now.

Because department stores were,

It is because they were not just places to sell goods, but places to create family memories.

When did things change?

In the old days, department stores had:

a restaurant,
a rooftop,
an event hall,
and a toy department.

Everyone from children to the elderly could enjoy them.

However, as time went on,

the main focus of department stores became fashion,

and then shifted further to cosmetics,
luxury goods,
and jewelry.

Then came the era of inbound tourism.

Luxury watches.

Designer bags.

Cosmetics.

Department stores reaped huge profits.

Of course, as a business, that is the correct decision.

But since that time,

I have felt that department stores have gradually become different places.

Did the public really abandon department stores?

It is often said:

"Young people stopped coming."

"Families with children decreased."

and.

But I think it might be the opposite.

It was the department stores that let go of the masses.

Sales floors with low profit margins were reduced,

sales floors with high profit margins were increased.

As a result,

the spaces that supported family holidays gradually disappeared.

Who took over family time?

The ones that took over that role were,

outlets and large shopping malls.

They have food courts.

They have events.

They have parks.

They have playgrounds for children.

You can spend the whole day there as a family.

In fact, today's large malls might be closer to the role that department stores used to have.

What I look for in department stores now

I still go to department stores today.

However, my purpose has changed.

That is all.

A slightly luxurious nori bento.

Seasonal events.

Gifts for loved ones.

In other words, I think department stores have become

places that accompany life's milestones,

rather than places for everyday shopping.

Between urban development and profit

Recently, department store companies have been talking about "urban development" and "lifestyle proposals."

I think the idea itself is wonderful.

However, I sometimes wonder.

Are they truly aiming for urban development?

Or do they just want to grow their business for the wealthy?

Of course, as businesses, they need to make a profit.

But perhaps companies that have once experienced high profits from inbound tourism find it difficult to break free from that success.

The reason Hankyu is supported

In that context, I feel I understand why the Hankyu Umeda main store is supported.

They have luxury brands.

They have wealthy customers.

But at the same time,

they have the Festival Square.

There is a British Fair.

There is a Hokkaido Exhibition.

You can enjoy yourself even if you don't buy anything.

In other words,

they retain "reasons for anyone to visit."

I feel that the original charm of department stores remains there.

This is what I thought after reading this article.

This article stated,

"Department stores were the public spaces of the city."

It said that.

After reading that,

I thought that rather than department stores disappearing from the city,

the fact that department stores themselves have forgotten the value they once held might be a bigger problem.

What I remember is,

not luxury brands.

Not private shopping services either.

It is the children's lunch.

It is the plastic model section.

It is the holidays spent with my family.

The value of a city is,

It may not be about sales figures,

but rather the memories created there.

Conclusion

Department stores were not just selling products.

They were selling family holidays.

If department stores are to truly be reborn,

they need to rethink "what they are selling" once again.

It is not about brand-name goods or cosmetics,

but perhaps the very memories that make people want to visit again.