Amazon buying dead malls to turn into fulfilment centers

[beschizza]

Originally published at: Amazon buying dead malls to turn into fulfilment centers | Boing Boing

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[robertmckenna]

@beschizza

allow the public to actually walk in and

…see the working conditions?

[LDoBe]

A dead mall across from where I work is being converted into an Amazon Fresh store.

[gracchus]

It could create a new kind of “mall walk” (15 miles/day) for elderly “retired” people in communities across the nation.

It’s weird seeing Amazon being sucked back into traditional local bricks-and-mortar local retailing despite its e-commerce focus. Part of me wonders if this (and Whole Foods, and the automatic checkout stores) is a long-game play to give them something to divest themselves of when the anti-trust regulators start knocking on the door.

[mr_raccoon]

Greendale Mall: Sad Dead Mall in Worcester, MA (DEMOLISHED) - Raw & Real Retail

[QuickBrownFox]

[mountain_talk]

Is there a way for people to stop adopting corporate speak or recognise it :
Packing boxes in a warehouse = Fulfilment Center
Small coffee to go = Tall.
Cashier in a store = Associate.
All capitalist friendly terminology. Far from the dreaded word worker, synonymous with rights. George Carlin needs to return.

[anothernewbbaccount]

transforming them into fulfilmnet centers

What is this film net that is ful? Is it where Amazon will keep all the video they’ve amassed from Ring door bells?

[AnthonyI]

[aaronsb]

Somehow I feel like visiting an Amazon Fulfillment center as some form of entertainment is going to be similar to visiting an Aperture Science Enrichment Center.

1 Hour Sentry Turret Manufacturing Process, Portal 2

[Ceran_Swicegood]

@beschizza

It struck me that Amazon could take advantage of the layout of their new fulfilment centers to allow the public to actually walk in and look at the items they might like to buy. They could even make a bit more money by selling food and drinks, maybe set up a few massage chairs, places for kids to play, etc.

Or we could put that stuff on a road closer to where the people in the town actually live. Like, you know, maybe in the middle somewhere.

[longtimelurker]

When I have to go to a mall nowadays, it’s usually just to hit the Apple store to find out what is wrong with my Mac. Otherwise, I avoid them by any means possible. When I’m in an actual mall, I can almost feel the rage start building up and I have to leave within the hour before I start wanting to throw cheap pretzels around Macy’s.

[morcheeba]

Nice! It’s far more environmentally friendly to repurpose old buildings than make new construction. And good to use that space more efficiently - you don’t need to air-condition large atriums if it’s just for housing products. These malls will be closer to their customers, so delivery is more efficient – it’s much better to have one truck make 30 stops at houses than it is to have 30 cars drive all over the city to different stores. Plus, this will employee local people.

Of course, we’ll still have traditional retail, but there is a large swath of products that are either too generic, or too uncommon to be best served by a brick and morter store.

[Faffenreffer]

Amazon ushers in the dawn of dead mall fullfillment center union busting:

edited to improve caption

[anon61221983]

@beschizza

It struck me that Amazon could take advantage of the layout of their new fulfilment centers to allow the public to actually walk in and look at the items they might like to buy. They could even make a bit more money by selling food and drinks, maybe set up a few massage chairs, places for kids to play, etc.

Literally NO ONE can out think amazon’s great minds!

[FGD135]

Yea – lots of space in this mall.

[Ceran_Swicegood]

@longtimelurker

When I have to go to a mall nowadays, it’s usually just to hit the Apple store t

You’re not alone. At our neighborhood mall, the Apple store is the busiest place in the mall, by far. Even more than the Cheesecake Factory. In fact, part of the mall is getting converted to office space, and even some residential space is being added.

[adamrice]

[Brian_Shock]

Um, yeah. You folks been in a Whole Foods lately? (Specifically, the one I go to, in Cupertino, California.) It’s basically an Amazon Fulfilment Center that’s open to the public. Seems like half the people in those stores are pickers now.

[mmascari]

@beschizza

It struck me that Amazon could take advantage of the layout of their new fulfilment centers to allow the public to actually walk in and look at the items they might like to buy.

While that was clearly a joke that they could turn it back into an Amazon mall, there is a slightly different option that would make sense.

Just like Amazon has rolled out lockers and other delivery drop off locations for scenarios where someone doesn’t want a delivery directly. They should use the fact that these malls are more accessible than some warehouse for that function. They wouldn’t even need the lockers, where not all things fit in them.

Using the the Greendale Mall example. They could turn the part that used to be a Best Buy into a pickup location. It was an anchor store on one side with an outside entrance. Set up a small counter area with someone to go get your package from shelves in what used to be the the showroom. Offer people some discount to pick up there instead of delivery.

In the old days, I’ve had enough stuff rained on that this would be a nice option. Eliminates stolen packages too. These days, I’m home when the driver shows up anyway.