What happened to the American department store?

Amazon and the pandemic are the final blows to an American retail tradition.

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View on the web The death of the department store and the American middle class In less than 10 years, the number of department stores in the United States has shrunk by nearly 50 percent. After the Great Recession decimated the American middle class, e-commerce was quick to steal market share from places like Macy's and J.C. Penney. Now the pandemic has dealt a fatal blow to many department stores, including high-end chains like Lord & Taylor and Neiman Marcus, which both filed for bankruptcy in the second half of this year. The death of the department store doesn't just mean fewer places to shop. These anchor tenants are bringing down entire malls and cutting off career paths for millions of Americans who just a few decades ago could start on the showroom floor and work their way up to management positions. Many of these workers are now taking much more physically demanding jobs at companies like Amazon and Walmart, where business is booming. Recode's Jason Del Rey takes an in-depth look at the troubling future of retail — especially malls and department stores — and what it means for the future of work in America. Facebook, Google to face new antitrust suits in U.S. Federal and state authorities, probing whether the tech giants abused their power in the internet economy, are preparing as many as four cases. [ John D. McKinnon / Wall Street Journal ] Fired director of U.S. cyber agency Chris Krebs explains why President Trump's claims of election interference are false Christopher Krebs called the 2020 vote "the most secure in American history" which promptly got him fired. [ Scott Pelley / CBS News ] It's easy to assume pawnshops are doing great in the pandemic. It's also wrong. It's not just about the guns and gold: Loans are at the core of the pawn business. [ Emily Stewart / Vox ] Guns, Drugs and Viral Content: Welcome to Cartel TikTok Mexico is set to shatter another murder record, but that grim reality is nowhere to be seen on the TikTok videos that go viral by showcasing drug cartel culture. [ Oscar Lopez / New York Times ] 11 films to watch if you loved — or hated — Hillbilly Elegy Rural America on film, from Appalachia to the Ozarks, coal miners to sharecroppers. [ Aja Romano / Vox ] An amazing game played entirely via text message Facebook Twitter Instagram This email was sent to milburnkennedy@hotmail.com. Manage your email preferences, or unsubscribe to stop receiving emails from Vox Media. View our Privacy Notice and our Terms of Service. Vox Media, 1201 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20036. Copyright © 2020. All rights reserved.