Vanishing Business

[savingdogs]

In our area many businesses are doing poorly. Video places, restaurants and the higher end stores especially. Right in my little town, every business except the one store seems to be for sale!

The Dollar stores and real cheap restaurants seem to be doing fine and everyone I know seems to shop at the Goodwill and Value Village now (heh! those were MY stores!). I went to the local Mall before Christmas to go into one specific store for my son, and the place was like a ghost town. The salespeople were marching out into the center passageway trying to talk people into entering their stores!
One man literally grabbed my arm and insisted on doing my hair with a special flat iron. I didn't really even want him to! But once he did one strand it looked stupid half straight so I let him finish. When he was done, he wanted me to pay 200 dollars for the silly iron. I laughed! I didn't even like my hair straight. He got so pushy about it, I finally said, "Man, you must be desperate!" But I think he was. All the businesses are desperate.

 

[Rhettsgreygal]

Six companies that I have worked for have gone out of business. When I worked in Chicago and told that to a co-worker, he called me "Typhoid Annette". That was the last former employer to go out of business.

We have lost a lot of manufacturing around here: paper mills and prefab house builders, and other companies have moved their manufacturing to other parts of the country or to other countries.

We have also lost some restaurants, a video store, even a couple taverns and a dollar store. We had a Walgreens move out of downtown and now the building is standing empty.

 

[Shiloh Acres]

Much the same here. Video store gone, movie theatre closed down. Several restaurants closed, but several others appear to be thriving if I consider a wider radius. Most mom and pops gone. Some resale/ "antique" aka yard sale stores are gone, but over a wider area there are TONS of them. There are very few grocery stores around, so I can't comment on them. We've lost several gas stations too.

Regarding gift shops, it's hard to say but they APPEAR that they MIGHT be doing OK. A new one opened, which surprised me. Guess we'll have to see.

The dollar store has expended. Wal-mart isn't going anywhere soon. A few restaurants are always packed. The feed stores are doing great. That's most of what is left, LOL.

Oh, and churches appear to be fine around here, since they were mentioned. At least I don't see any closing, though in other parts of the country I did.

 

[FarmerChick]

around me some great restuarant deals

the "all you can eat" promo and the "2 eat for $20 with dessert and appetizer" type things.

I noticed alot of pizza places shut down around me. Only the key ones in good locations are still here, but those small pizza and chinese places that are in the "off" area strip malls all closed.

 

[tortoise]

I think we're holding pretty steady in this region because the big employers are big brands:

Jenny O turkey
Gold n Plump chicken
Leinies beer
Ashley Furniture
Silver Spring Horseradish
Kitchen Kleen potatoes
Parker - engineering
Marshfield Clinic

etc.

Can't think of anymore now, but there are more.

 

[savingdogs]

around me some great restuarant deals

the "all you can eat" promo and the "2 eat for $20 with dessert and appetizer" type things.

I noticed alot of pizza places shut down around me. Only the key ones in good locations are still here, but those small pizza and chinese places that are in the "off" area strip malls all closed.

We have noticed lots of meal deals like that too, but since we can still cook at home for cheaper, we don't go.

How many other people are doing the same?

We are also buying a lot less "optional" things. I have not bought a piece of "new" clothing in my family for over one year if you don't count socks.

And gift shops? Our whole family stopped exchanging gifts. My mother still buys us all something but the rest of us agreed to stop. And when I have had situations where gifts were warranted, I've gone to giving things I made or eggs.

How many other people are doing the same?

We have also stopped going on vacations, going to movies and doing a lot of the other spending we used to do. We used to do quite a bit of charitable giving which we can no longer do.

How many people are doing the same?

I mean, no wonder the businesses are going away. There is a lovely lovely wonderful restaurant, my favorite "special" place to go up the Columbia Gorge....we used to go once or twice a year for special occasions. (McMenamin's Edgefield) But we have not been there in three years now. I sure hope when the economy improves the restaurant is still in business. When I hear about people going to it, I CHEER!

 

[FarmerChick]

your right....so many of the "basic people" who are the foundation of this country aren't spending cause they don't have it...bills come first to pay for that roof over your head!

I cut all unnecessary spending to go on vacations. I am making every dollar in my pocket count as best I can. If I don't spend out in stores like I used too, and others don't, they yup, away they go.

we said it a million times on the board----it is only going to get worse!

 

[savingdogs]

I feel bad for the teenagers. How are they going to get work and become productive members of society? When I was that age, it was easy to find a job and start your life on your own, at least compared to now. I had a great job at 18. But my 19-year-old son could not find employment and had to create an internet job for himself....and much of his business is not in the US.

 

[tortoise]

I feel bad for the teenagers. How are they going to get work and become productive members of society? When I was that age, it was easy to find a job and start your life on your own, at least compared to now. I had a great job at 18. But my 19-year-old son could not find employment and had to create an internet job for himself....and much of his business is not in the US.

Yeah, when I was 15 I walked into WalMart and left with a job. The employment section of the newspaper was HUGE! I thought it was normal. :/

 

[savingdogs]

Me, too....and I doubt we are the same age.