> I don't think department stores are failing because they're a bad business. I think they're failing because they're being gutted by corporate raiders for thei

> I don't think department stores are failing because they're a bad business. I think they're failing because they're being gutted by corporate raiders for their real estate assets. I think you are confusing cause and effect at least the case I know of, Sears. Because Sears' core business was dying, because of Amazon, the best way to get value out of it was to raid its real-estate assets. It may have hastened Sears' demise, but it probably was the smartest thing to do from a business standpoint.