If Seattle leftists had their way, Amazon wouldn't invest in that space. It would be abandoned by Macy's and filled with by no one, especially a company which might place people with good paying jobs. Because that's all Seattle's Looney Left has to offer in terms of economic policies.

I take that back, they'd insist homeless be allowed to live there.

"All Christmas stars matter"

I do not usually look at who writes a story before I start reading.
Every single time I get a couple paragraphs in and think to myself, " Wait. What????" because the logic makes no sense, I scroll up to find that Charles Maude wrote it.

This article makes about as much sense as blaming millennials for the downfall of Applebees. Things change and what people used to want doesn't stay the same either. Businesses either have to deal with the changes or go out of business.

I'm a fool for tradition....some of them. I felt sorrow when The Bon disappeared. The Bon was Seattle's store (along with Nordstrom) especially after Fredrick & Nelson exited the scene. I always loved going to Macy's back when it was only in the two or three cities where it originated, and saw doom when they starting buying out all the beloved, regional department stores across the country. That actually pissed a lot of people off. Think Marshall Fields and Chicago. Macy's was like life's blood to shoppers in NYC, and it was a wonderful place to go and shop when visiting Manhattan - like a retail temple. Now the brand has worn out its welcome almost everywhere. Plus. the high quality shopping experience in a lovely store became hit-and-miss as it thinned out. There are/were some stores acquired by Macy's in southern California that looked like Russian commissaries - badly lit, poorly supplied, and depressing.

Because there are still things you want to try on or be measured for before you buy, and because sometimes you just want to get out and go shopping, I don't see where one has to choose between Macy's or Amazon, but I do think the fall of department stores everywhere trumpets the decimation of this country's middle class who used to have the time and energy to go out and shop and could afford department store prices.

It's hard to let go of things that one has depended upon. And I can't imagine a Macy's with just three floors.

It's not Amazon driving retailers that served the now dying middle class out of business, it's the fact that shitty jobs have left most people broke as a motherfucker.

@1 it's like a contest to see how many straw men imaginary "Seattle leftists" you could fit into one comment.

Are you haunted by many imaginary leftists? Must be you I see swatting at invisible air demons at the bus stop.

@8 I grew up under socialism. I'm here to warn you before you run out of other people's money for your pet projects.

@That actually isn't true. Edward and Josephine Nordhoff founded the Bon Marche in Seattle in 1890. While they did name it for the Bon Marche store in Paris, the Seattle store was never affiliated with the French company and was locally owned until the 1990s.

@6

You're one of those "well actually..." guys, aren't you?

@10 so it's like the Dick's Drive in in Spokane?

@1 You are wrong about the Macy's building housing the homeless. The socialis would require that the homeless be billeted in the homes of the housed.

The Bon's failing was when Federated stores consolidated everything into Cincinnati (or wherever the hell Macy's headquarters is) and rebranded every chain as Macy's (a somewhat lowbrow NE and SoCal chain with no regional connection).

When Seattle's downtown started booming, they were still selling middle-of-the-road fashions for teens and middle-aged office workers. Their furniture department was hawking oversized McMansion junk, and their housewares were suited for my late Mother's tastes. When Woolworth's closed, they didn't pick up the low and mid-end market, When FAO Schwartz closed, they didn't seize the opportunity to bring back toys. Target had to come in to do all that.

Macy's abject failure in one of the country's hottest markets has very little to do with Amazon.

I’ll add one thing. Last spring I went to Macy’s to buy a couple sets of towels. It rang up to ~$95. The clerk said ‘hmm...wait a second’ looked in a three ring binder, re rang everything and said if you can wait 14 days to pick up the towels, but I’ll ring them up now, and your total will be $37:50. Obviously, I waited the 14 days to pick them up.

I haven’t bought anything else there since. I now feel like if I were to buy something I’m probably paying 60% more than what I can get it for. My suggestion is to price your merchandise for a fair price for me, and a reasonable profit for you, and cut the crap with all the coupons and sales gimmick gobbledygook.

I've gotten to the point where when I see a bullshit news title, I just assume it's Charles writing it. It's kind of a fun game, always exciting to see that I'm right...

@11 Where James went cap-in-hand to the IMF.

Now be a good armchair socialist and go Google it.

Following hot on the heels of "I Saw A Dead Raccoon On The Way To Work, Parts I and II" comes "I Got Day-Drunk And Bought Some Purple Trousers."

Gotta keep that Pulitzer board busy, eh?

@21
Sorry Roger, but the UK is now and always has been a capitalist country.

@24 Glad you can google.

In 1976, the death year of Old Labour thank heavens, government expenditures in Britain were over 50% of GDP, half the economy was nationalized and marginal tax rates were 90% on the wealthiest. And yet they still ran out of other people’s money. Not quite Caracas with no toilet paper but people were burying their trash in their yards as services collapsed.

@26
In 1946 the marginal tax rate on highest earners in the United States was over 90%, and the national that was well over 100% of GDP.
The United States was still a capitalist country.
As I said before, the UK is now and has always been a capitalist country.

You are entitled to your own opinion, but not your own facts.

National debt.
Speech to text still needs work, or I need to start proof reading my comments before I hit post.
I doubt that's going to happen.

I guess it only makes sense that if people are going to accuse Charles of being drunk while writing his post, most of them would be drunk while commenting...

@9 did you grow up in Israel or Sweden?

@32
No, he grew up in the UK, which makes him a liar.

@17 gets it. I grew up with Macy's. It's been dining out on its generally unfounded reputation and shitty Thanksgiving parade since 1995, when all attempts to look sorta classy just kinda became too much work.

It's JCPenny without the hollow-eyed, whispy husked, Midwestern drifting towards death ennui and a 1,000% markup of what it costs to experience existential crisis while sorting through racks of cheap sweaters.

Macy's by association might actually get something out of this.

@10 - What? Seriously?! I honestly did not know that! I...I... made an assumption.. oops. Thank you!

@12 - Dammit! You blew my cover! ..or maybe I did... :>\
Ok, a joke:
Q: Where does a mainsplainer get his water?
A: Sebz n jryy, npghnyyl... <=(rot13)

@nauseum - Roger, What? lost the argument as soon as he said the words "Looney Left". "Seattle's" very own! And Capitalized Even!