A journalism parable...
There's a chain store here called Marshall's that, (as best I can tell) operates by purchasing shipments of overstocked or otherwise devalued clothing and housewares at discount, and then retailing them at affordable prices. In fact there are two of them in town, one east of the Cooper, the other west of the Ashley.
The margins in such a business are going to be low, which is not to say there isn't profit to be made: I venture into these places about once a year, and business is invariably brisk.
I noticed details as I shopped the West Ashley store Wednesday: Jackets hung with collars turned up; a bin of travel kits in disarray; clothing packed tightly into racks. The fitting rooms spoke the silent language of Third World squalor, and the checkout area was manned by one poor guy who struggled to resolve problem after problem with mislabeled or untagged items, using the intercom to call for price checks and assistance.at the registers.
Recent Comments