Since the traditional shopping mall is becoming more and more of a relic, developers are trying to figure out how to get more people to shop. Hence these mixed use residential/retail "communities" popping up all over the place. This way, instead of getting into your car and taking a road trip, just step out of your luxury loft or townhouse and go to the "town square." These developments make big promises to enhance your quality of life by having entertainment, restaurants and shopping all in one place so you never have to leave. Corporations bank on the fact that if you spend more money, you will have a better time. By promising such highly desirable and aspirational intangibles as a sense of belonging and a better life, they get more people to sign those leases. It's no wonder that the big boxes are speaking to these lifestyle aspirations - it is very appealing to a wide range of consumers - people who want to belong and those who need to maintain a desired lifestyle.

In Texas, the largest tourist attractions are as follows: #1 The Alamo, #2 The Riverwalk (both in San Antonio) and #3 the San Marcos Outlet Stores (30 miles south of Austin, where I live and 10 miles north of New Braunfels, where I grew up. I remember the location when it was pastureland 15 years ago). Remove the out-of-state factor, and the San Marcos stores are #1. More about retail tourism here: http://recenter.tamu.edu/news/43-040...

Selling a lifestyle, a gender, or a feeling is a far better means of touching consumers. By targeting different consumers, Best Buy may have something. We've got some grocery stores who have done this utilizing us as a test market ... and it does work. They've got to be very careful, though. On a brand scale, Gateway and Apple bit it hard with their stores. And they won't go out of business as long as folks like me are around! I must say, though, that I am not a fan of the 'Marts' of the world. They bury communities in poor paying jobs and drive everyone else out of business.

Yeah Aaron my mom lives in central Florida and there's this whole project called the Villages, which will soon have over a million people. It's these planned communities where they buy large areas of land, quickly put up houses and already plan for all of the department stores and shops that go in beforehand. It's so sterile and obnoxious.

Uh - Aaron - your draconia idea is alive and well in California... especially where I live... getting out of the house only to go shopping is sad. I wish one of these developers would build some skating rinks or very large unique parks or something other than retail. As for Best Buy, so long as they have the same stuff I'd probably go to the targeted store. But leave Home Depot as is, I love that place.

Personally -- I'm making a gut instinct prediction that BB is in big trouble. There is only so long that a company can be an "island" before they run aground. But that's my personal gripe and mixed metaphor. :-) Maybe I'll be wrong as they keep posting earnings increases. BB is also rolling out their "geek squad" stores in more markets. I think they're in trouble partially because they are moving away from their core successes. In previous press releases, BB has announced their movement toward the "more affluent" consumer who is "less price conscious". Kind of confuses me -- considering their NAME focusses on being a "best buy". BB has been actively seeking to alienate their core consumer. Think along the lines of recent marketing epiphanies that consumers are willing to pay more for quality products (e.g. ipod). Will -- lifestyle and meeting it will spell the eventual success or failures of the big box retailers. Costco has addressed this from the start -- note how successful they have been. Perhaps more disconcerting is the trend in suburbia of consumerism. There's nothing else to do but go to the mall. People go to the mall and "shop" as an activity, rather than seek out community involvement, etc. Entire developments where the entire commercial area is owned by one company would be the next step. Build the housing so people move in, but have "neighborhood-like" commercial area attached that is owned by the property owner. Wow. ok that was draconian, but there are some developments like this popping up here and there..

I think they have a shot the same way that the Sony Stores do.. they present a lifestyle as much as they do a particular product. And in that...by creating an experience, they build loyalty. Certainly I think the women's store has potential. I know more than a few women who will not go into a Best Buy as it is...not because they don't enjoy the electronics etc. But the overhead lights give you a headache within 2 minutes, the staff is universally unhelpful and spread too thin over such a huge facility, etc. etc. So a more intimate experience will really help in that demo.