Category killer
A category killer is a retailer, often a big-box store, that specializes in and carries a large product assortment of a given category.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite book</ref>Template:Rp Through their wide merchandise selections, low pricing, deep supply, large buying power, and market penetration, they have a comparative advantage over other, smaller retailers, and can greatly reduce the sales of rival retailers within that category, in the area<ref name=":1">Template:Cite book</ref> and beyond it.<ref name=":0"/>
In essence, they are a price- or discount-based specialist mass-retailer.<ref name=":0" />Template:Rp<ref name=":1" /> Chains such as OfficeMax, Best Buy, Barnes & Noble, and Hobby Lobby have been considered category killers.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Once typically found in power centers, increasingly they are found in or adjacent to (as an outbuilding of) repurposed traditional malls.
Large category killer stores are mostly in mid- and large-sized cities, because a large population is required to be feasible.<ref name=":0" />Template:Rp
ImpactEdit
Local merchants in cities with category killers "may suffer a substantial reduction in sales," and stores in a wider radius can be affected by the draw.<ref name=":0" />Template:Rp Between 1983 and 1993, Iowans spent 31% less in hardware stores, translating to a loss of 37% in the same time to those stores as a result of category killer stores.<ref name=":0" />Template:Rp
Canadian retailersEdit
| Retailer | Category |
|---|---|
| The Home Depot | Home and construction |
| Best Buy | Electronics |
| Toys "R" Us | Toys |
| Indigo Books and Music | Books |
| Staples | Office supplies |
| Shoppers Drug Mart | Drug Stores |
| PetSmart | Pet supplies |
| Party City | Party supplies |
| Dollarama | Dollar Stores |
United States retailersEdit
Sporting goods stores that are category killers range in footprint from Template:Convert.<ref name=":0" />Template:RpHome Depot carries 30,000 items in Template:Convert stores.<ref name=":2">Template:Cite book</ref>Template:Rp
| Retailer | Category | Defunct? |
|---|---|---|
| The Home Depot | Home and construction | |
| Lowe's | ||
| Builders Square | 1999 (stores) 2009 (brand) | |
| Home Quarters | 1999 | |
| Circuit City | Electronics | 2009 (stores) 2012 (brand) |
| Best Buy | ||
| Toys "R" Us | Toys | 2018 - 2021 (US stores) |
| Barnes & Noble | Books | |
| Borders | 2011 | |
| OfficeMax | Office supplies | |
| Office Depot | ||
| Staples | ||
| Petco | Pet supplies | |
| PetSmart | ||
| Party City | Party supplies | 2024 |
| The Gap<ref name=":2" />Template:Rp | Clothing | |
| Old Navy |