elfs | Casualties of the Economy (Reply)

Six months ago

Yesterday

Six months ago, a former drug store that had stood closed and shuttered for the year prior re-opened as an Office Depot. Last night, as I drove home from a quick trip into the city, I passed by the store and saw big signs that read "20%-40% Off!" and "Store Closing!" and "All Inventory Must Go!"

There is still material scattered about the store left over from the opening. Excuse me, the "Grand Opening!" I want to find a sense of irony in that, but people are losing their jobs, and I can't help but think that for them life must suck right now. I asked one of the people cleaning up a corner where someone had scattered dry erase markers, "Didn't you guys just open?"

"Just recently, yeah." He sounded depressed. I don't blame him.

Another casulaty: Koma Bean

Another casualty of our rapidly failing economy: Koma Bean, a vegetarian Asian food stand at the new section of Southcenter Mall, was gone when I went to the mall yesterday, leaving only an empty kiosk, the menu still up but the cooking aisle empty. I'd never eaten there, but I did see folks at the register all the time. Sad, but inevitable. I wonder when we're going to start seeing store shutter down inside the mall.

The United States currently has 20.2 square feet of retail space per person. Compare that to Sweden with 3.3 square feet, or the UK 2.5, France with 2.3, and Italy with 1.1, all countries with economies doing better than our own.

I wonder what the numbers will look like when the bloodbath is over.