Say goodbye to department stores. .

"Department stores as we have known them are on their way out," predicts Robert Robicheaux, the Bruno Professor of Retail Marketing and director of the Hess Institute for Retailing Development at The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa. "Those that don't change dramatically will be history. We will see ... a fast-paced movement in America's department stores away from service to even more self-service, away from sales price promotion to everyday-low prices, and away from capital intensive store expansion to retrenchment. America's department stores are going to look and feel more like discount stores."

Department stores' heyday occurred during the second half of the 20th century, he indicates. "Their popularity hinged on broad merchandise assortments, deep inventories, and high service levels. They also charged high prices to cover the high costs associated with expensive facilities, services, and personnel." These merchants were once the only places in mainstream America where one could buy clothing, furniture, home appliances, toys, books, and apparel. However, consumers are not dependent on them anymore. "No longer can a consumer buy a contemporary suit or fashion outfit and then walk through the same store to shop...