With each department store that closes, a world vanishes

[PSPS]

13. "bending to pick up bits of invisible fluff from the carpet"

The store manager was like the mayor; everyone perked up when he strolled through, surveying his domain, bending to pick up bits of invisible fluff from the carpet.

This is one hallmark of a successful retail store: A manager that knows how retail works. The store must be clean with stock in its place. If someone removes an item from its place for inspection and doesn't put it back, staff puts it back in the blink of an eye.

If you've been to a retail store lately, it almost looks like the aftermath of a sale out of "Who's Minding the Store." There are items strewn about, empty food containers on displays and dirty floors. Anyone who knows retail realizes this kills business.

My theory is that, when a sore's founder retires or passes away, the motivation of the enterprise goes with them. The successors are often merely schooled in general business or finance. They see their job to keep the money-printing-machine going and hitting the next quarter's estimate. The store isn't their raison d'etre like it was the founder's. Thus, they don't have the same emotional investment in it. Come to think of is, that's true for any enterprise. CBS under Moonves bears no resemblance to CBS under Paley. Hyster stopped being Hyster after Swigert. BATUS killed Marshal Field. We all know what Lampert did to Sears.