Zombie Economics...



Am I noticing a new trend? This is the second Toys R Us Express store I have seen spring to life in the body of a dead retail space. In this case it is the once empty Hollywood Video location in Warminster, Pa. that I have photographed several times. (see images below). There is another one in a strip mall on Roosevelt Boulevard in Northeast Philly. Obviously Toys R Us is taking advantage of low cost vacant retail space just in time for the holiday shopping season, and this is clearly going to be a seasonal business winner for them. But I'm having a difficult time getting past the ghoulish nature of this enterprise. The stench of death is so strong the buzzards are still circling overhead. They spent all of their energy on converting the interior for retail toy sales, and absolutely nothing on the exterior except for a cheap sign over the front door. The ghostly remains of the Hollywood Video lettering can still be seen on the stucco facade. I can imagine some Operations VP at Toys R Us barking out a directive to a project manager... "Just finish out the interiors, slap a sign on the front, and call it good! Get these F#@king stores open!!"

You can just bet these stores will be long gone before Super Bowl Sunday! Back to the graveyards they crawled out of.






2 comments:

Jeana Marie said...

It really is rather ghoulish...that is just the right word. Great photos.

Anonymous said...

The host carcass, the parasite, the circle of life.