COMPANY Comment (July 12) refers to the demise of department stores Garlick’s and John Orr’s. You could have added Greenacres, Ansteys and Greatermans. Stuttafords hangs in there.You mention how John Orr’s rose like a phoenix rebadged as Mr Price. And then you talk of the mess that is Edcon (Edgars, Jet, Sales House, CNA, Boardmans). In the US, JC Penney and The Gap are struggling. However, there are a few successes such as the UK’s John Lewis and SA’s Woolworths. Harrods changes ownership on a regular basis, yet lives on.For the most part, the days of the department store are numbered unless the stores keep up with the demands of changing lifestyles, fashion, customers and advances in technology. Soon the biggest retailer in the world could be Amazon.Jeremy SampsonIllovo
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