Payless ShoeSource: Doesn't It Feel Good To Pay Less Anymore? - Dead Mall & Retail Mini Documentary
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 20 เม.ย. 2017
- This episode features a video tour of 2 Payless ShoeSource stores. Payless ShoeSource filed for bankruptcy in April of 2017 and announced 400 store closures.
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#Payless #PaylessShoeSource #RetailApocalypse #DeadMall #DeadMalls #RetailArchaeology
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Somewhere in America, Al Bundy is in tears watching this
Do you mean Ed O'neill?
Ed Jones I need shoes!!! lol
Ed Jones perfect comment!!
He's probably experiencing a mix of emotions that's he's quelling with a nice beer.
Al's begging Peg to make him a toothpaste sandwich.
Looks like the employees had you cover the store for them while they went out for lunch.
HEH
Tanzanite800 it wasn't sexist what
Tanzanite800 troooolll
Tanzanite800 Obvious troll
Tanzanite800, shut the fuck up you phony fucking troll face piece of trash.
Many memories of being bored to death in that store waiting to go to k.b. Toys while my mother shopped for shoes
You and I have the same memories 😀 I bought a lot of video games from K.B. Toys. My K.B. had a rack of discount old computer games, I picked up a lot of classics there like some of the Wing Commander games. Thanks for watching!
Same men.But it was either game stop or mcdonalds.
bassman34516 yes!
It's sad what happened to K.B.
bassman34516 fuck i had forgotten about kb toys.. i had gotten my tamagochi there lol
SEARS
Kmart
PaylessShoeStores
RadioShack
HH Greg....
Welcome to the Retail Apocalypse.
Don't forget Sprint.
You Can't Fuck With Me I should've mentioned Macy's and JCPENNEY. I'd be surprised if they last beyond Black Friday this year.
You needed a bank loan to buy batteries at Radio Shack. Good riddance.
you forgot about Gander and Rue 21
Bebe. The list goes on and on
I cannot figure out what it is about this genre of videos that captivates me. Maybe it's the little part of me that IS nostalgic, maybe it's just the anthropological interest...Whatever it is, I enjoy these very much. Thanks for sharing.
Brian Smith I'm glad you enjoy them, thanks for watching!
Brian Smith in the Philippines Payless shoe store is still doing good
Brian Smith
Brian Smith check out dan bell. he is the king of dieing store-mall videos
Lilly and Gavin Show Yea but for some reason he hasnt been putting that much at all of his
Dead Mall Or Dead Motel
videos
The shoes that they sold were of lousy quality. I remember growing up on a fixed income and having to go there for shoes. If you were lucky if they lasted at most 3 months before the sole started to separate from the cloth. That is why I stopped going there once I had my own money. You get what you pay for.
...and if you had children, after that childhood experience, you never bought your children cheap shoes.
EarlFaulk I had the same problem. I used to burn through those shoes at like 3 pairs a month
EarlFaulk It's not just payless I found a lot of shoe stores are lacking in quality in selling crappy shoes. I bought a pair of converse, can't remember what store (Rogans maybe?) they fell apart within a month... I paid 55 dollars... for those money drains. -_- My brother got a pair of 60 dollar work boots that fell apart in 3 months from Walmart we are sure it wasn't from the shoe company they claimed. smh everything now is just a money pit for poor people who actually wanted to have a pair of "good" shoes once in a while I saved my money for those bitches.
EarlFaulk Yea but for a quick fix for a last minute party or something
its better then spending
$50 - $100 for a freaking pair of shoes.
I had the same experience with high end work shoes that cost about 180$.....timberlands I am pretty sure. They lasted at most three months before the rubber started cracking in half on the bottom. I paid for Wolverines next (about 90$) and they lasted for over a year with no problems. I wonder if sometimes they aren't pirated knockoffs, chinese organized crime groups are notorious for slapping stuff together and passing it off as brand name
You got me when you brought up the fact about employees helping your mom measure your foot as a child.
That was definitely a childhood memory of mine nestled away in the corner of my mind, thanks for bringing it out.
By the way much love to Payless Shoes regardless of their future.......
I remember going to Payless with my mom on the weekends when we needed church shoes as well as school shoes for me lol. Back then, Payless prices were pretty fair, but all of a sudden, the prices of their shoes shot up! It's absolutely ridiculous how the shoes of low quality have high costs. I told my cousin one time that they should change their name to Paymore lol.
LadyL31786 Ikr me and my family would buy just 1 pair for all of us 150$ ummm like what??
LadyL31786 The prices shot up after they started BOGO. People that only wanted to purchase one pair of shoes couldn't afford it, especially for the low quality of their shoes.
Payless has become the "BOGO king."
Paymore for less
BellaTorresBruh RI-DICULOUS!!! The total should've been way less than that!!! Other than that, I agree with the whole BOGO being the main culprit of low quality shoes with high prices.
I would have thought the shoe business might have a hedge against "death by internet". Personally, I have to try on a pair of shoes to make sure they are a good fit. I have ordered from Amazon before, getting a poorly fitting pair even though the size was my size.
Russell Flowers I was surprised they're doing so poorly too. Shoes I would imagine are something people would still prefer to buy in the store. It does seem like thrir financial problems started kind of suddenly. From what I was reading they actually grossed a lot of profit but not a lot of it ended up as net profit. So it might be other issues besides internet sales that are hurting Payless. One thing I think may be the problem is just too many locations in general. They do have about 4500 stores and maybe that's too many?
Yeah, not everything can be blamed on internet sales! :)
Russell Flowers-- I'm no expert, but I think the problem with payless is that they have gotten TOO cheap, or at least their prices haven't kept up with inflation. I mean when you're selling 2 pairs of shoes for $30, the only way to make a profit is if your store is packed to the rafters. Also I imagine competition from newer stores like DSW haven't helped either. I have always preferred stores like this where you can get a pair of nikes or new balances for $40 which will last me for a year or two (I'm hard on my shoes). The problem with the shoes that payless sells is that they are cheap but not a good value. They fall apart too quickly, they are cheaply made.
yes thats what im affraid of
when the shoes are junk the price is meaningless
The Payless of my childhood closed its doors during the economic recession of the early 2000s. It's been a nail salon since then. When that one closed, another one opened up in a different strip mall nearby with updated fixtures. I never see anyone shopping there. There's usually only one employee hanging out by the register. They aren't particularly friendly or focused on service. And the deals aren't what they used to be. I stopped by a couple years ago to buy a pair of basic black pumps for a job interview. The quality of the shoes is decent, but for a store called Payless, they aren't saving people any money.
the problem with payless is they sell the shoes nobody wants to buy..lol
you got that right, as brands like Airwalks back in the 80's and 90's use to be up in quality with Vans, and worth paying $60-$75 for because they would last a year or more, now you would be better off flushing your money down the toilet then buying a pair of Airwalks after Payless bought the brand, as they will fall apart in a month or less if you wear them on a daily bases. I won't buy anything less in quality then Sketchers, or Vans for my daily shoes now.
MPDraws yesss
Low quality, poor selection, and the prices aren't any better than many other retail stores that had better quality and last longer than Payless shoes did.I got tired of being told "What we have out is what we have.", I heard that so many times from the employees, I finally quit shopping at Payless, started going to other stores.
I remember that Payless ShoeSource was the only shoe store that had British Knight high-tops for half off in the mid-late 1980's.
Alexander The Great I got a pair or 2 of BKs at Payless when I was a kid 😀
Awesome! I have noticed a time or two that I have been in a Payless the past few years that they carry less and less variety and seem to be looking more and more like a Five And Dime store.
I checked out their selection recently, hoping to find the same slip on or lace up canvas style shoes with designs on them or different colours like I had bought from them years back. Their shoes look like the same stuff I can get in Chinatown or from a strip mall.
Leer Wesen These days if you just want a pair cheap slip on, or lace up canvas style shoes you are better off going to Walmart, or Target, or better yet Shoe Dept. who actually carry quality shoes at a fair price that don't fall apart in a months time.
The thing I like about payless if how the shoes are just on the shelve for you to pick and try.
Yeah none of that bullshit waiting for some sales rep to go fetch a pair "in the back".
When I was a teenager back in the 90's I would wear nothing but Airwalk, Bugle Boy jeans and Bad Boy t-shirts, those were the days!. I would buy my Airwalk at "Just for Feet", Bugle Boy jeans at Sears or JcPenny and my Bad Boy shirts at Kmart. XD
ResidentGerm You must've been last generations hypebeast
You know what I miss?
Circuit City. Anyone else remember that store? I loved their commercials as a kid. Been there quite a few times in the 90s as well. Also, I remember going to Payless a lot as a kid in the early 90s, my birthmother loved that store, used to take me and my younger sis all the time. I remember the device they used to measure our foot sizes, too. I liked those.
ReddRaeReviews yes circuit city! You should watch Bright Sun Films' video about Circuit City in their series called "Abandoned"
I remember that and Radio Shack back in the day. Not surprised they got shut down :/
lol...RadShack employees always surprised me. They were mega-nerds who knew about computers and stuff but also, all of them seemed to be potheads. Fun people to hang out with though I can't say a lot of work ever happened inside the stores. :D
My wife and I bought a lot of electronic appliances at Circuit City in the 90s. I could see the store's downhill slide starting in the early 2000s.
Heather 🎶Welcome to Circuit City. Where service is state of the art.🎶
Lol Payless now a days playing with the prices 60$ 70$ 80$ 😂😂 I mean you can go to Macy's and get name brand for less.
Gabe Play Macy's is also closing alot
thotkiller 1 but One is quantity and one is quality
I'd rather go to Shoe Dept. and pay $45 - $50 for much better quality shoes like Sketchers, or Vans that will last me a year, as the same shoes at Macy's would cost me $60 - $80 so no wonder they are closing stores. Far as Payless about a year & 1/2 ago I bought a pair of Airwalks that I figured would be the same as from my childhood thinking I got a deal at $32, but they fell apart in less then a month, but before Payless bought the brand, Airwalks would last me a year or more before needing to be replaced.
Gabe Play on me bro like they the shit😂😂
I can get air jordans for those prices easily at my Footlocker and Champs. Yeah, it's left over inventory from the previous year but they're barely worn.
I never shopped at Payless until a couple years ago. When I was a kid in the 90's, I always got my shoes from Stride Rite in the mall. Anyone remember those? I believe there are still a few open but I haven't seen one in 10+ years.
There was a time that didn't have much money and I bought some tennis shoes at Payless. It wasn't until later that I discovered that what I thought was leather was actually some sort of vinyl.
wow is that Erika Christensen in the 6:30 commercial? I'm guessing that's from around 1996 or 97. Nice blast from the past.
S A N D A L Z O N E
*s a n d a l z o n e*
Harun Al-Muhajir You heard ut boys, we're in the zone!
payless always had low quality shoes, and when Ross, Marshalls, Burlington coat factory, Nordstrom Rack became a thing, you could just go discount on higher name brands. It's not really that big of a mystery, payless just doesn't stand a chance.
Payless just has way too many locations. I have not had much luck with shoes I bought from Payless recently, they hurt my feet after using them for a short while.
Agreed, and they fall apart way too fast. I bought a pair of Airwalks from them about a year & 1/2 ago, and they fell apart in less then a month's time along with hurting my feet, but I remember Airwalks back in the 80's and 90's being up in quality with Vans, and would last me a year or more before needing to be replaced. Just really really sad, and now days if I need daily shoes I go to Shoe Dept. who has quality shoes like Sketchers, and Vans at fair prices.
Good riddance! I've hated that store since childhood. I used to get the two pairs for five dollars shoes back then and when it rained the soles would detach from the upper. I would have to glue my shoes back together and clamp them each night, hoping they'd dry enough to wear the next day. Bad memories from a not so stellar childhood.
Doberman Love Holy shit.
soles are supposed to be attached to the bottom of the shoe? I've never had a pair like that
i remember learning about people in the 1930s who used cardboard in their shoe when the sole started to wear away, so i started to do that. my shoes were so fucked the cardboard slid out the hole at the back and snow would start to pile in. i'd have to take off my shoe a few times a day to knock the snow out and put the cardboard back in. fun times! when i finally had some money, i was very happy for my payless shoes. just wish i had known about the free donation place back then.
Oooh, you grew up poor. Nothing wrong with that.
Leer Wesen Some people nowadays don't realize how lucky they are to have such excess of "stuff".
Payless was the first show store where you didn't have to have someone get the box of shoes from the back and then fit you.
I bought a pair of shoes at Payless in the late 80's, and the soles came loose within two weeks. Never went into Payless again.
I worked in a Payless in 1999 and damn they look exactly the same no change except the register outside of that identical.
Better to get quality shoes that last. Especially for men, whom often only have one or two pairs of shoes for everyday use.
oldtwins Yes! Get a good pair of real shoes made from real leather and real rubber and are able to be re-soles. Your feet, legs back and the landfills all will be happier.
I stopped shopping there because their shoes are low quality, I would rather spend a lot more money and get a nice pair of nike's that will last me like a year
Well if you work in them a year, I expect my trainers to last a couple of years, I don't wear them all day.
as a consumer i can shop where i want. Children shouldn't be working in the first place. teenagers however can find a job anywhere. The objective of a company is to sell me products that i would buy. i'm not going to shop somewhere specifically because it would put a group of people out of work if I didn't. They can blame their failing Company for that, not me the consumer. i would be Happy to buy their products if the quality was better. but this is likely the reason they are failing as a business
The fck there shoes arent that bad, Idk wtf your doing in there shoes but for me they've lasted for years, i usually buy there wedges, sandals, & some heels And nothing has happened to them, and
for a quick fix on a pair of shoes for a last minute party
there store is perfect
Sylvester Puddy-Tat Yea they have different contributions
Exactly. My mom would normally buy me the Vans-styled shoes there, and they'd last 7 months at least. Now I have an old pair of actual Vans, around three years old, that I wore nearly everyday for two years. Those things are still going strong.
Their running shoes were along the same. Except I used them much more infrequently, they wore down quickly, etc.
115th Like!!! When I was a kid I loved Kinney Shoes.I still have a pair of boots from there
the death of payless was that 50% off and buy one get one half off. That's the stupidest promotion if you only need one pair of shoes.
Rumple Forskin The sketcher stores around me always doing a buy one get one 50% off on their shoes and they are always busy.
Plus Sketchers shoes are better made than Payless. My mom bought a pair of flats from Payless for a funeral and they broke apart in about 2 hours within the service.
Rumple Forskin girls always have 3 or more pairs of shoes,
Guess it works if you have a lot of kids to put shoes on, but individual customers have no need for it.
Not a fan of Sketchers. I had my last pair when I was a kid and quality was just meh.
lots of guys also have more than 1 pair of shoes. not just sneakerheads (who wouldn't really shop at payless anyways) but think about it: 1 pair of work/dress shoes and 1 pair for everyday wear is 2. lots of people have a couple pairs they rotate, or they have 1 pair for the gym.
a Payless store has been open and seemingly thriving in my town ever since I moved here in 2001...been in there a couple of times for some last minute dress shoes
Hey at least they have size 15
The very times I ever bought any shoes from payless they fell apart after a month or two. I'm not really surprised that they went under. Maybe that's just my experience. Perhaps their women's shoes were a better value. Anyone care to weigh in?
As my early post stated, their shoes were pure trash and the stores stunk of cheap plastic.
i think also the early 2000,s more shoe stores started opening up with more trendy new styles and put them under the china makers started shipping cooler looking shoes for women all kinds of sexy heels and boots and payless didnt keep up with style also....
Alex Summy My teenage son bought a pair of Champions tennis shoes for school from there last year. A month later they had a big hole in them and he went somewhere else to buy another pair.
Depends what shoes you get. I have 3 pairs of professional looking shoes from their comfort plus line that a alternate through daily and have for the past few years.
No, their women's shoes were not a better value. They were okay for occasional wear or for a one time deal, like a special occasion to match a dress you dragged out of the closet once a year. But for regular, day to day wear, they didn't hack it.
Our Payless at the mall of Louisiana has old signage.
Used to love the leather smell of our local Payless when I was a kid
This is my new favorite channel. Also love the music. So depressing but so true. I was born in 1990, but I remember getting my feet measured with those metal things. So weird seeing all these stores I went to go bankrupt. Radioshack, etc. It's a weird lonely feeling
I remember going to Payless as a kid because my feet were always wider than average and Payless was the only reasonably priced store who sold them! Also like you said, I distinctly remember the cold feeling of that metal foot measuring thing. I also played with them when they were left unattended under the chairs lmao
OK I get it. It is a cheap/cheaper shoe shop, but there is no excuse for this terrible merchandising. As also seen in all the sears and kmart videos I have seen. Stock just piled high as if just thrown onto a shelf with no thought of what is next to it. The result is a dark and/or cluttered appearance which nobody has the time or want to shop in. These types of stores then moan about the internet... where in nicer surroundings at home or in a coffee shop you can have your things delivered to your home.
If done right, the internet compliments your business, but if you have an awful website for your awful shop or no internet at all, then the coffin and its nails will soon arrive.
poor payless
Payless will soon be penniless.
The only reason I still buy my shoes at Payless is because the store near me sells women's shoes up to size 13 (I always have trouble buying shoes that fit). Most of them are ugly as sin, but there are always one or two pairs that are decent enough.
OMG, I just found your channel. This is video #2 for me. Love it. Awesome perspective.
The way you film your videos is incredibly smooth and also very relaxing some TH-camrs film with a shaky hand which makes me very nauseous also your music choices in the background enhance the relaxing experience and don’t compete with the video which is great. Also I like your analysis in the videos as they bring back the nostalgia exactly as I remember being an 80s and 90s kid shopping with my mom all the time. Finally I do agree with you that with some retail experiences That you really need to see touch feel and try on at a brick-and-mortar location and having that personalized concierge service makes all the difference I was actually thinking the same thing about the clerk using the metal shoe sizer and how I used to love that when I was a kid and feel like it was special attention every end of summer when school shopping!
got a Payless ad watching this lol
You would think that shoe and clothing stores would not be affected by the Internet because consumers would need to try on the items to get a feel of how comfortable they are before buying. Or maybe these stores happen to open up too many stores and are now readjusting?
being a kid of the late 1980s early 90s. I remember this real well
The memories!!! Thank you for doing this!
The one by my house is closing too. They have a major store closing sale. I went there and all the shoes are not stylish or has styles a person in their 20s-early 30s. They were catering mostly to older women so that is probably why they went under.It does not look like it can cater to a wide target audience in 2017 or cater to the needs of todays shopper. Just like Kmart. They look out dated and that they cannot provide or keep up with the wants of today's consumer. That is why Target is popular still cause it looks modern, vibrant, has stuff that people want. Whereas Payless and Kmart do not. These stores look depressing to go into so no one does.
I remember coming here as a kid in the late 90s. I get very nostalgic/creepy vibe from all your vids. They're awesome
Yeah... Payless is the only place I ever buy shoes. I don't know what I'll do if the stores in my area get the axe. I'm not paying the outrageous prices of other stores for footwear of similar quality when I can get three pairs of shoes at Payless for the same price, which will last me longer because I'll have more shoes and can get away with wearing them less often.
When I was a kid , I called it Payless Shoe Store. Still do sometimes.
I worked at Tradehome a couple of years back, and we most definitely give more personalized service like measuring sizes, finding plenty of options for customers, offering advice, and ultimately, despite the extra service, customers would leave the store, not buying anything simply because it's cheaper online. So, a lot of these physical retail stores act as de facto fitting rooms for online retailers.
Payless was my favorite place to buy shoes as a kid, and adult before they closed...I still can't believe it's gone. I recently found out you can still order from them, online. But it's not the same. 💔
I love that you show the old commercials.
for the same money as Payless you can go to Ross and get good shoes.
Ross is the next candidate for Retail Archaeology LMAO !
Yes, finally some talent from AZ! Cheers from the Southwest, your videos are awesome.
Payless will always have a special place in my heart, since it's where my mother took me & my sister to buy shoes since we were so poor. I'm way past those days, but it was always nice to see one & remember what it was like.
Kinda feels like Blockbuster video was at the very beginning of the retail apocalypse. In the 80's and 90's they were huge. Now many juggernauts are falling.
I have fond memories of buying shoes from Payless. I bought so many heels back in my late teens and early 20's, I was so dumb as I rarely wore them but they sure were cute. Now it's boots boots and more boots for winter time
Weird watching this after the fall of both sears and Payless. Good thing ya got video!
I remember waiting to go to the Target next to it so I can look at games. My mom would spend 20 minutes just looking at one section of the store.
I really like the respectful way you approach these recordings. I am not a fan of big commercial stores since I like to support small local retailers or artisan/craftsmen but I also don't like to see brick and mortar stores close as I believe they play an important role in communities that will be lost once online commerce becomes the norm.
Oh my goodness, I remember that Buy 2 get 1 Free commercial. Love it.
I haven't been to a payless in so long! We definitely shopped there when I was a kid. I got my custom-dyed prom shoes there in the mid 90s.
This channel is everything I've ever wanted on TH-cam.
Oh man I remember some of those old Payless commercials, and I remember picking out kid shoes in the early 90's.
04:44 sorry you are so wrong, in the old ad teh store looked a little more modern. Much less 90's orange and brown. :)
yes when I was kid I went to Payless all the time to buy shoes and you can save a whole lot of money and that was cool for me and my family and we don't need to see a good store like this go out of business
It's probably been suggested before but you can get glasses that have a camera in them for more discreet filming of these stores. Love your videos. Keep them coming, please :)
Nicole Docherty I've tried 2 pairs so far and have been unhappy with them. I'm still looking 😀
I think Dan Bell has some sneaky way of hiding the camera while filming at malls and retail stores. Not sure if he'll share the secret though :P
went in recently to get some dress shoes and maybe some regular shoes... they didnt have any good shoes! Couldn't find anything i liked...ended up at macys
Watching this reminded me an old lady once stole my cap at a Payless in the 90's. I put it down and saw her pick it up and just walk out the store. By the time I told my aunt she was lost in the crowd
Subway is closing 350 shops. Eateries are hurting too.
smh! oh wow! did not know... damm, i wonder how things gonns be by the end of thiz yr or 3-5 yrs from now... shits scary.....
I hear 30% of malls will be closed with in 5 years. One annalist recently that JC Penny will have to close 800 more stores to get back to their 2006 profitability. Don't worry. Everything is wonderful. They guberment keeps telling us so
Dennis W Are you suggesting the government is to blame for this?
What I am saying is the guberment will LIE about how bad things are and spin everything to be better than it really is. The guberment and the Federal reserve both play a role in boom/bust cycles. Mostly with the Fed with their easy money policies, then tightening. They are tightening mode now and they are about to create another crash. When exactly I don't know. When the Fed starts tightening rates they don't stop until they create a bear market in stocks and a recession. Higher interest rates will not help this retail situation at all but they created the first boom and crash in the 90s. We also have an abundance of shopping centers in this country. We have more shopping centers per person than any country in the world. There are just too damn many of them.
My son is now 16. I used to get his shoes from Payless very often when he was an infant/toddler. It was a place where I could find them at a great deal. And I had shopped there with my mom through my childhood and high school years. Will be sad to see it go. Sad how things like this are coming to an end.
Great video! Really looking forward to more of work! Subscribed
Windoge Wizardly Thank you and thanks for watching!
It's not understaffed. Do you think they're going to spend payroll money for employees to stand around and chat? Their staffing levels matched the business level just fine.
I just went into a Strip Mall location and noticed everything you talked about. I did walk out with a decently priced pair of black pumps and new sunglasses.
Mom has shopped a lot for me and my brother here when we were kids. Also still remember the commercials as well.
It’s a New Era now where no one goes anywhere anymore , I can just imagine what the pandemic is doing to retailers if I didn’t live in a rural area I would be ordering my groceries now
My mom always wanted to buy me shoes from there, and I remember I was very overjoyed when we went to the Nike store for the first time. Payless gives you what you pay for- lousy shoes for a low price.
We still have a Payless in Hiram GA. I was always more into Foot Locker for shoes back in the day tho.. Great work on this video. I enjoyed..
My local Payless is nearly identical to this one in size and layout to that location you went to first, and it's looked the same as long as I can remember. I wouldn't be surprised if that one closes because it's right next to a Target, where they also sell shoes. My family went there a lot when I was younger because my sister and I were growing up and they didn't want to always have to drop lots of money on new shoes that we'd outgrow soon, so it worked great for us. However, now that I'm almost 20, my feet are fully grown and I can justify the purchase of a nice pair of shoes that last way longer than something from Payless.
The whole time I was watching this and you pointed the camera at a mirror I could've sworn I was seeing Jared Tolzien but i'm thinking that's a retro toy/game channel he wouldn't be in a video like this I never did take my meds tonight. am I starting a seizure? then the end of the video clarified everything and i'm like Oh my GOD he has a second channel and it's about one of my niche interests?! EEEK! i'm in youtube heaven! I'm a major fan of your toy/gaming channel so realizing i'd wandered off of Mike Bells channel onto one of yours I didn't even know about was a pretty awesome surprise :)
holy shit what happened. i remember shopping here like last year.
Varknox Their downfall has been swift.
The Payless shoe stores are always busy by me. I live near the one in warminster, pa and also the Montgomery Mall in north wales, pa. The one at the Montgomery Mall recently did a whole renovation just in the last year. I always love Payless because I can shoes at a decent price and would last me for a good while.
People: you can't smell photos and videos!
Me:
This place smells like old air and plastic
I went to a Payless the other day to grab a quick cheap pair of work shoes that we know will not last years, but needed them right NOW. And it had customers in it, several buying shoes, and several looking at the other items, and only one staff and slow help. But it wasnt dead.
The area with mirrors on the endcaps was trippy haha
I used to work for payless before the location I worked at was one of the 400 stores closing. They have a really unrealistic outlook, shoes don't have any type of style and management has no respect for you. I never bought shoes from there for the 2 years I worked there. As a 20 year old college student, I thought the shoes were so damn ugly and bland.
I'm always a little freaked out when people talk about their childhood in the 90s. Back then, I was in my 30s and building my career! But I used to shop here too - I needed to save every bit I could back then. As far as the displays go, well, there's only so many ways to mount and show shoes, and if you get a system that works why not keep it? But I think most of these places are ultimately doomed... you may not get custom measuring on-line... yet. But that sort of thing will be here soon, I'm sure. Eventually what malls exist will be specialty shops, niche markets, or very, very high end custom shops. Your "ordinary" goods will all be bought on-line.
You got yourself a subscriber, I love your work
5:21 I know man! Airwalk and Vision Street Wear used to be hella expensive labels--and as you said the same holding company that owns Payless bought both those brands. Notable mention to Starter that people used to shoot each other for, but now is sold in Walmart.
I used to work at a Payless that looked just like that one in Linden, NJ. Had a good time there from 2001 to 2004.
I'd love to see this series to be similar to abandoned by bright sun films, where it shows the history the rise and fall of the stores and just more facts about the company would be awesome.
Takes me back to when I was a kid and my mom and dad would take me and my brother and sister to Payless to get new shoes for the school year. I remember getting my first pair of light up shoes there when those were all the rage. Haha. Good times.
I used to get my flats there so sad about all these stores love the videos
It's funny, the shopping center near my house had a payless, radioshack, sears, and blockbuster. The block buster was the first to go, then sears. Only radioshack and payless remain.
I always had to get shoes from there from elementary to highschool. My friends had Nike Air force 1s and I had some questionable footwear. But now I own Jordans, Nikes, Timberlands, and also have me some payless shoes. Airwalks, Champion, and KangaRoos are my favorite everyday footwear.
Wife bought me a pair there in 2009 or so and I still wear them. Shes in heaven now and the shoes are still going.
This video reminds that I should have kept those old VHS tapes and the few that I do own, AMAZINGLY the commercials are better than the content.
What do you expect a shoe store to look like ?