Angela Simon walked out of the Sport Chalet on Midway Drive in San Diego with a new canopy and barbecue. She says she has been shopping here for years but today Angela admits she was attracted to the store because of its "Going out of Business" signs on the window.
"Somebody is going to buy this stuff," said Simon. "Might as well take advantage of a good deal."
Sport Chalet is closing all of its stores. Sears and Kmart announced they are closing nearly 128 stores across the country. They join stores as diverse as Macy's, Office Depot, Walmart and J.C. Penney who have announced they are cutting back.
"It's been almost revolutionary," said San Diego State University (SDSU) marketing professor Miro Copic.
He says since the recession of 2008 and the steady growth of online sales, traditional stores have been struggling to survive.
"It is a shift in what consumers are expecting of their retail experience," he explained. "And retailers that don't meet up to that standard are going to go by the wayside."
Sport Chalet shopper Dan Skalko agrees.
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"I think it is convenience, the ability to sit at home any time of the day or night," Skalko told NBC 7.
By one account, more than 2,500 store closures are expected around the country in the near future.
Who will decide which stores survive?
"The final voter is the consumer," said Copic.
And he says there is more change to come.
"You're going to see more fundamental changes in retailing in the next 12 to 24 months and then you are going to see a kind of new era of retailing," he added.
Copic said this will last for a few years until the next round of changes.
