Topic: Retail Stores

The U.S. State Department reports a serious cyber security breach, while Amazon announces plans to open physical department stores. The hosts view Amazon's expansion into brick-and-mortar retail as a strategic takeover following the economic destruction of small businesses during lockdowns.

Data from a large grocery chain employing 30,000 people across 20 states shows only 52 confirmed COVID-19 cases among its staff. This low infection rate among front-line retail workers, who have constant public contact, challenges the narrative of the virus's extreme lethality. The discrepancy in data is leading to increased public frustration with continued stay-at-home orders.

John C. Dvorak describes a historical marketing scam where grocery store coupon printers were used to play competitors against each other. If a customer bought Coca-Cola, the machine would print a Pepsi coupon, and vice versa. Marketing firms made money by selling both companies on the necessity of countering their rival's coupons, effectively creating a "double dip" for the middleman.

Speculation arises regarding a potential partnership between Apple and luxury jeweler Tiffany & Co., based on high levels of insider buying at Tiffany's. The hosts suggest that a "Tiffany Phone" could be a successful move for Apple as it seeks to maintain its high profit-per-square-foot retail dominance. They argue the market is ready for a new luxury-tier device beyond standard face recognition features.

As traditional retail collapses, developers are repurposing old shopping malls into micro-apartments. In Providence, Rhode Island, the nation's oldest indoor mall now features 225-square-foot apartments renting for $750 a month. These units lack full kitchens, leading residents to rely on toaster ovens and "Lean Cuisine" meals.

Amsterdam is reportedly filled with "pop-up stores," which are described as a hallmark of an economy in crisis where empty storefronts are used for temporary retail. These shops sell bankruptcy inventory at 50% to 90% discounts, operating under agreements where they must vacate immediately if a permanent tenant is found. The phenomenon is likened to a form of legal squatting by agreement to fill vacant commercial real estate.

A listener describes "hitting people in the mouth" by changing the browser homepages on smartphones in an AT&T store to the podcast's website. Another donor from Calgary, Alberta, asks for "getting laid karma" and support for the Calgary Stampeters in the Canadian Football League's Grey Cup. The hosts celebrate these creative methods of propagating "The Formula."