Shop here? This brand is shutting its stores

In a recent post, I discussed how Macy's holiday sales fell well below expectations, prompting it to close 68 stores nationwide.

The Limited, a once-popular women's clothing brand that offers workwear and casual attire, has met an even darker fate: It shuttered all of its stores around the country. Only its website will remain up and running, and it will continue to ship nationwide.

Despite owning such popular companies as Victoria's Secret and Abercrombie & Fitch, the brand fell on hard times in the mid-2000s.

Sun Capital Partners, a private firm, took over its management in 2007.

Still, like Macy's and other brick-and-mortar retailers, The Limited has had a hard time fending off e-commerce giants like Amazon, not to mention fast fashion stores like Forever 21 and H&M.

The news comes as a shock to many people who have been shopping at The Limited for a long time, including my sister and wife.

In my view, The Limited and Macy's chief problem boils down to charging high prices. It's easier than ever for consumers to snag great deals on Amazon, eBay, and other websites.

If companies are unwilling to bring down their prices, shoppers will look elsewhere. I wouldn't be surprised if many people were using The Limited's stores to scope out clothes and other items -- then purchase them online at great bargains.

We see a similar situation play out in the realm of electronics, where shoppers will check out computers at Best Buy, then buy the one they like the most on Amazon at a cheaper price. In essence, brick-and-mortar stores have become little more than showrooms, and the online giants are benefiting from it.

Did you ever shop at The Limited? If so, will you continue buying stuff via their website?

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