It's very sad to see this happen. Roughly a quarter of the stores inside our malls around here have either already closed up or are going out of business. Of the remaining three quarters of the mall stores, probably half of them are on very shaky ground. Many of the stores at the strip mall/shopping centers are closing as well. Many stores are also closing in the downtown shopping district. It's very scary. 
It is the same here.All the malls are half empty, with more shops closed than open.It is getting quite scary. I never thought I would see Starbucks or the Disney store close. It seems like America is slowly shutting down.I don't quite know how to word it, but it is scary.We know so many people here who are in foreclosure.We are only just hanging on and every day is another battle.
Even along the roads more and more businesses are closing.Each day I go into the shop it seems there is another one which has all the windows boarded up. I have to try and not let the kids see how scared I am. I keep thinking, we just have to hang on until June when I can take part of one of my pensions.
The last time I went into Macy's there was not a single person in there, not one!!
It does not seem much better in England.My sister in law has a beauty therapy business and one week before Xmas she had not one client in the whole week.That in a very wealthy part of London as well.
I really do think this is going to be a very long, hard recovery,(I hope I am wrong) and personally, I would not do the Presidents job (not that I can) if it was offered to me on a gold platter with an 8 figure salary. !!!
He will I guess, either be remembered as the one who saved the American economy, or sunk it. Let's hope it is the former.I certainly do not envy him.
The odd thing is, one of the closest, small strip malls to where we live, had a Panera breadshop open.They sell bread and sandwiches at ludicrous prices, yet it is always busy, so some people still have money. $7 for a loaf, you have to be kidding me.
If we could get the finance, fat chance, I would love to lease one of the numerous empty shops there as a butchers. Our meat is so good that some people come 30 miles for it.Not enough I am afraid, I just think if we could sell that quality of meat, in Sarasota, but at Bradenton prices we would do very nicely.In the meantime it is try to build up the internet, delivery side of things.
Ah well, faint heart and all that !!!
