The face of retailing has changed across the board in recent years. It's not just "Train Stores" that are feeling the effects of E-commerce. This is not a new phenomena. I worked in hobby stores while in college in the early 80s and mail order outfits selling Radio Control were putting the screws to brick and mortar retailers way back then. People would come into the store and ask you tons of questions, examine the kits and then not buy anything. The same customer would show up a week later asking for help with the same product. When asked where they purchased the kit the answer was usually a mail order outfit. It took a lot of restraint not to tell them to go call the mail order outfit with their questions! A store that basically puts products on the shelf and expects to survive by just pushing said product out the door will never survive in the current business environment. These days we can order an item and many times have it the next day. What the internet cannot provide is an "experience". A savvy business person knows that the only way to get folks to come through their doors is to provide things that cannot be experienced online. In store events, seminars, demonstrations, special events, etc. are the things the current customer will react to and come to the store to participate in. This is a tough situation due to current social circumstances but today's consumer is a very different creature. We all bemoan the loss of our local hobby shop but everyone with few exceptions shops online and looks for the best deal. I've been in the hobby game for a long time and know this to be true.
I guess my point is that life is change and the face of retail has changed drastically. I miss the good old days when my father took me to the hobby shop and we spent time together perusing the shelves and making that special purchase. Unfortunately that scenario is turning into nostalgia unless retailers get creative and make more efforts to provide more than just a place to move products.
Just my 2 cents....
