Can Macy’s Survive this Crisis Without Filing for Bankruptcy? by Wolf Richter • Apr 28, 2020 • 121 Comments Its unsecured bonds crashed 53% since Feb 14. It has been living off its real estate portfolio of “owned boxes” for years by selling them.
Post-Lockdown New Normal: Many Brick & Mortar Stores Will Not Reopen, CMBS will Default, Mess to Ensue by Wolf Richter • Mar 30, 2020 • 245 Comments Neither the Fed nor the Treasury can bail out brick-and-mortar retailers.
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.
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.
Brick & Mortar Meltdown at the Movies: Neither Extra-Comfy Chairs Nor Bars Can Reverse the Trend by Wolf Richter • Jan 6, 2020 • 155 Comments Ticket sales plunged 31% per person on average since 2002. You can raise ticket prices only so much before the strategy backfires.
What Options Do Mall Landlords Have When Brick & Mortar Retail Melts Down on Them? by Wolf Richter • Dec 24, 2019 • 160 Comments Even in San Francisco: From a brand-new glitzy zombie mall to innumerable vacant storefronts.
Mall Shooting Highlights Folly of AAA-Rating of CMBS Backed by a Single Mega-Mall by Marc Joffe • Dec 16, 2019 • 89 Comments “I want to see rating agencies improve their performance before they contribute to another meltdown.”
Brick & Mortar Meltdown Manhattan Style: Lenders Foreclose on Times Square Tower whose Six Retail Floors are 90% Vacant by Wolf Richter • Dec 11, 2019 • 112 Comments Wow, that was fast: In default is a $650 million portion of a $2 billion loan package, signed in 2018.
The Chilling Thing Subprime Retailer Conn’s Said About the Sudden Deterioration in New Accounts by Wolf Richter • Dec 11, 2019 • 84 Comments Rising first-payment defaults and 60-day delinquencies, which are “leading indicators,” caused the retailer to become “prudent.” Shares plunged 33%.
Brick & Mortar Rent Meltdown, Manhattan Style by Wolf Richter • Nov 27, 2019 • 120 Comments Asking rents for ground-floor retail space have plunged as landlords struggle with vacancies.
