Coronavirus May Deliver Coup de Grace to Overrated Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities (CMBS) by Marc Joffe • Mar 24, 2020 • 72 Comments S&P made up for its tardiness by downgrading the CMBS in one fell swoop by 9 notches from AAA to BBB-, just one notch above junk.
How a Landlord of Neighborhood Malls Deals with the Lockdown Crisis his Tenants Face by Wolf Richter • Mar 19, 2020 • 84 Comments “Our Retail Marshall Plan.”
Lockdown in San Francisco, Silicon Valley & the East Bay: We’re to “Shelter in Place.” What it Means Now & Long Term by Wolf Richter • Mar 16, 2020 • 300 Comments The eeriness of the whole situation may leave permanent marks on consumers and business-decision makers.
Mall Giant Intu Warns of Bankruptcy: First, the Meltdown of Brick & Mortar Retail, Now COVID-19 by Nick Corbishley • Mar 15, 2020 • 48 Comments Local governments end up buying dying malls to keep them from becoming dead zones.
Ecommerce Spikes by Most Ever. Brick & Mortar Melts Down. Department Stores are Toast by Wolf Richter • Feb 20, 2020 • 183 Comments What’s astounding many people: ecommerce growth is not leveling off, but keeps surging at blistering rates.
Shares of Bedding Unicorn Casper Collapsed by 72% from Magical Pre-IPO Valuation by Wolf Richter • Feb 10, 2020 • 93 Comments Another overvalued money-losing unicorn in a lo-tech ho-hum business wobbled out the IPO window and crashed.
Another Major Employer Leaves San Francisco, 1,000 Jobs Vanish: Macy’s Shuts Tech Center in Broad “Optimization” by Wolf Richter • Feb 4, 2020 • 140 Comments In total, 2,000 tech, admin, and management jobs to be cut and offices closed around the country. In addition, one-fifth of Macy’s stores to close. Brick & Mortar Meltdown.
Startup Unicorn Casper Sets IPO Price Range to Dish Out 36% Loss to Prior Investors by Wolf Richter • Jan 27, 2020 • 96 Comments Another money-losing, cash-burning, over-hyped unicorn in a ho-hum low-tech business (bedding retailer) tries to make it out the IPO window.
What to Do with Malls? Teetering UK Mall Giant Intu Asks Investors for £1 Billion. Shares Drop to Near-Nothing by Nick Corbishley • Jan 21, 2020 • 66 Comments Brick & Mortar melts down on mall owners. So “repurpose” malls into housing?
Brick-and-Mortar Melts Down in the UK, Worst Decline Since 2009, as Big Retailers Collapsed, 14,500 Stores Closed by Wolf Richter • Jan 18, 2020 • 184 Comments But even red-hot online sales cooled off late in the year as consumers turned sour.
