What kind of businesses do you see closing in your area?

[arcadian]

Besides the obvious, Circuit City, two of which we drove by today, I'm seeing a lot of car dealerships closing. Big empty asphalt surrounding a showroom with big empty windows, completely deserted.

Also, a shopping district with a lot of boutique type shops, I'm seeing a lot of empty space there. This isn't a strip mall type place, it's an older district with older buildings and an old theater anchoring it. It's non-corporate type space that's always had small businesses, cafes, bookstores, etc.

[Sanity Claws]

1. In Manhattan, restaurants are closing

I've also seen some small shops close up. One I'm thinking of sold Tibetan crafts.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

21. Say it Ain't So!

I remember going in the Mandala Tibetan Store in the East Village in 2003 and buying lots of wonderful stuff. There is another Tibetan store around the corner. I think Mandala is on St. Mark's Place. ??

At the time, Greenwich Village was boarded up and there was nothing there but NYU. East Village had lots of cool stores.

[Sanity Claws]

25. Upper West Side

The stores and restaurants I mentioned were on the UWS where I live. I haven't been in the East Village in a while but I'm thinking that the stores down there will not close as quickly because the rents are lower. Rents on the Upper West Side are outrageous and were hurting businesses even in the good times.

[Stephanie]

79. I just posted below about restaurants closing in the West Village.

So many have closed!

[truedelphi]

2. The mattress store was closed. What really worries me is that

In major supermarkets, there are not a lot of warm bodies in there buying anything. Grocery Outlet is usually packed but other places are almost empty.

One day, the four people in front of me at Safeway were all using Food Stamps. This is scary - I cannot recall - even in the Recession that California faced in 1994-1996 - it being like that.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

19. Do you live in a small town or large city?

I live in rural Arkansas, and shop in a small town. Except during bad weather, the local grocery store (been there since 1920) always has plenty of customers. Prices have remained relatively steady--and this is a store that sells organic produce and meats without hormones, and exotic meats (elk, buffalo, etc). The other grocery stores in town seem to be doing ok as well--don't shop at them because they simply don't carry the quality of food as the one I use.

[truedelphi]

49. I live in a very rural area. But there aren't many stores - so

Until about six months ago, The grocery stores were always rather busy. ANd over the winter, though there is les traffic in thee parts, stores shouldn't be nearly empty.

Of course, I did notice that everything was rather perky last weekend. A lot of the business that takes place here is during the tourist months - and last week's 60 degree weather enticed some of those toursits back here - with clear skies making up for lower temperatures.

[Mind_your_head]

3. Walmart!

:rofl: <--------- I may laugh now, but I'm 'serious', just "give it time"......it will eventually fail.

[arcadian]

4. Actually, I see the opposite happening.

I think this economy will only make Wal-Mart stronger. That is frightening in and of itself.

[snappyturtle]

7. I'm afraid you're probably right. nt

[Mind_your_head]

15. Even 'Elvis' didn't stay on top.....there is always the "new thing coming" n/t

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

20. If it makes you feel better

The town where I shop is home to Wal-Mart Store #2--that's right, the second store Sam Walton ever opened. People are just not shopping there much any more. They are going to the thrift stores for clothes and bedding and such because they are cheaper and of far better quality. The local pharmacist might not match Wal-Mart's hours, but matches or betters their prices and is miles ahead of them in service. And the high end specialty store always seems to have as many customers as they can handle. So I'm drawing the conclusion that people are going for quality now rather than cheap junk--at least here in my neck of the woods in northwest Arkansas.

[cherish44]

8. If only

all that's left around here is Walmart and dollar stores. It sucks!

[grandpappy]

5. A lot

Car dealerships closing, 1 Ford dealer, and especially the small ones that handle 20-30 cars. A few restaurants, 1 McDonald's, a lot of service stations, small mom and pop stores that specialize in a certain product. Grocery stores. Lumber yards. Movie theaters. You name it and they are closing.

Many are closing because they have out lived they're usefulness to the community. The big box stores are still busy in spurts. But my community has a large population of retired people from the old steel mills.

[AlCzervik]

6. it's gotten very bad here, in May (i think) the gigantic Ford dealer went out, then the Saturn

dealer, Meryn's is gone, gottchaulks department store, several restaurants including a Chili's that was open for under a year and the mall that is in mid construction has been stopped.

I don't even want to talk about all the subdivisions that have been started and then just left half done. Things are really in flux right now and it's scary, i'm not prone to panic but i've watched this city go from feast to now getting toward famine.

[Mari333]

9. small town, tourism shoppes here

so far 5 have shut down. they sell crap no one needs, but now they are gone.papajohns closed also, couldnt survive winter. also, Max10 couldnt make it. DollarTree opened, doing well.
edit to add: 3 car dealerships last yr..only one now.

[Lost in CT]

10. Car dealerships, resturants and clothing stores. nt

[Stevenmarc]

11. My favorite old family run lumber yard is closing

It's not like you can go to Home Depot or Lowes for custom profile moulding.

[Yes We Did]

12. Chinese Restaurants.

And some damned good ones too. Now I have to make it myself.

[skooooo]

24. Even that seems expensive now!

Local stores sell a pick-up dinner for like $15!! It's ridiculous. Chinese food used to be one of the cheaper ways to eat out.

[Yes We Did]

40. Yup...

That's okay, I make awesome fried rice. I wish I knew hot to make the sauce for almond chicken though. That's my favorite.

[Imagevision]

74. Anyone see the onetime clip (CNN) of the growing tent city in California?

[tigereye]

29. love your smiley!

[Yes We Did]

39. Thanks, I made it myself.

I got a bunch of them.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

13. I was in Home Depot yesterday and there was like three people in the store.

Of course, it took me a half hour (literally) to find someone to run the saw for a cut I needed.

[marions ghost]

50. I've had the opposite at Home Depot

maybe because it's new and everyone hopes it'll make it.

In both Lowe's & Home Depot the employees are just about begging customers to give them a task. I've had people carts stuff to the registers, help you find stuff, give advice, mix paint--SO much more than I am used to.

Even on Saturdays at Lowes and HD it's all too easy to park and check out.

:( It's not a good sign.

You'd think more people would be "do it yourselfing" to save money like I am. Guess not.

[Warpy]

14. Restaurants, furniture stores, electronics stores

small clothing stores, and jewelers are all having a tough time in this town.

[The Straight Story]

16. Tobacco shops - a pound of tobacco is going from $17 to $50 next month

Gonna hurt them plenty.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

53. Roll Your Own tobacco is going to $24.78 per pound. I pay $14 now and with the

increase, it's still worth making my own.

[The Straight Story]

58. Saw a sign in the shop I go to on friday saying is was going up BY 23/lb not To

On 2/5/09 the President signed in to law the SCHIP bill which will go into effect on April 1st, 2009. This will have a dramatic effect on the prices of RYO tobacco and Accessories.


In a nut shell we are looking at a price increase, due to Federal Taxes, of $23.68 per pound of RYO Tobacco. A bag of Gambler Tobacco, for example, that currently costs $15.96 would now cost $39.64. You have until April 1st, 2009 to enjoy the current pricing. Because this is a federal tax it will affect every retailer nationwide.

http://www.pipesandcigars.com/cigtob.html

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

71. I've been stocking up the last couple of weeks. I use Rave light and get it

online at RYOCigarette.com. I'm in NY so a price of a pack of cigarettes will be at least $8 with the increase. Even with the RYO increase, it will cost me about $2 a pack. A pound yields about 2 1/2 cartons.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

76. lol! I just realized that I meant extra per pound. You had the tax above

$30 per pound on your original post about it.

[The Straight Story]

59. And my bad on the math, it is 40 not 50, DOH!

Hey, it was the vodka calculator I was using :)

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

17. What I see closing in a small town in Arkansas

(about 12K in size):--Goody's is the only chain in town that has closed so far. On the square we've lost an antique mall, a shoe store, a clothing store,a gift shop, and a health food store. That is bothersome, because these are locals and local business.

On the bright side, we've had our old hotel restored and it seems to be doing a steady business. The other health food store in town has expanded their hours, and we have a number of thrift/consignment shops on the square that attract people from larger cities because the selection is great and the prices are low.

[AnnieBW]

18. Mostly small ones

Non-chains so far. The chain stores are, for the most part, hanging on. My hairdresser closed, as did my local bead store. At least one car dealership. A plumbing supply store, a high-end electronics store (not Circuit City). Several fly-by-night clothing stores.

[tooeyeten]

22. local small business and some chains

A local Radio Shack and a Pep Boys closed, while Linen 'n Things and Circuit City went out of business. A new Wal-Mart is going up, Local small businesses are closing down, a guy with a 30 year old glass business, closed down. A sandwich shop, print shop bit the dust. The car dealerships are clearly struggling, driving by the Lexus dealership on a Saturday, not one customer, not one, and employees are being laid off in record numbers.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

23. This little town was decimated by Wallyworld a long time ago.

About 15 years ago.
We have 1,200 people.

There used to be 2 family run grocery stores. The last one, which had been in business for 5 or 6 generations, closed in 2003.

We have to drive 15 miles to buy groceries. It's either Wallyworld or the H.E.B. (Texas chain).

There are three local restaurants (which I don't eat at because of the grease) and a Subway.

We have 2 franchises: A Subway and a Dollar General. And about three gas/convenience stores.

We have no drycleaners. We have one incredibly filthy laundromat we call the "Satan-Mat".

There are no tchotchke shops doing any business.

If we want anything for home repair, we have to drive 20 miles in the other direction to Lowe's.
The town 20 miles away has a Brookshire Brothers, a Kroger, and a Wallyworld.

If we want to shop at a Target or other large store besides Wallyworld, we have to drive sixty miles to Tyler.

[blues90]

26. A lot of different places

There were two huge wood shops with machines that are gone now, a few dealerships , a lot of old small shops have the black gates that never open. Radio shack not long ago had 5 to 6 employees and lines of people getting cell phone contracts and now there is on employee and I was the only person in the place to get solder.

Many other stores are open but empty. Some huge building was torn down and I drove by the other day and the new building showed no signs of workers. Some mall built in 2004 was so busy you could not get past the flow of cars now you can stand in the entry.

There used to be an endless flow of traffic on the main blvd on weekends now it is quiet , no more cruising going on. I don't even see people walking down the sidewalks when this was common not long ago.

I see a lot of buildings torn down and nothing going up.

[TheWatcher]

27. But....But.....The Dow Surged almost 700 Points this week.....

The Banks are "Profitiable" again.

They said so, and provided no proof, but they gave "Hopes" and "Assurances" so we can SURELY trust them.

Didn't you get the Citi "Memo"?

The "recovery" is HERE!

:sarcasm:

[Iggo]

45. LOL...yeah.

It's kinda got some room to surge, huh?

:rofl:

[dixiegrrrrl]

28. Here, rural town in Ala. ( pop 6000 or so ) new businesses are starting.

Wal-Mart Super Store is having Grand opening next week,
there is already an old Wal-Mart in town, same amount of people in the parking lot from what I can see.
Grocery stores seem to have same amount of people as I go past.
3rd Dollar General store opened.
A local furniture store just moved from the downtown square into a huge new building,
and Walgreen's is building a store.

Taco Bell closed, it was in half the gas station building ( common around here).

About 1,000 people laid off in last 6 months, in this county ( pop. 26000)
That is a lot.
Thyssunkupp planned an enormous steel mill , to great fanfare, last year, it was supposed to break ground
about 40 miles from here, people were excited. Have not heard anymore about it, so don't know if it is going to happen.
Our core downtown area, which is a typical Courthouse square, has about 1/3 buildings vacant, same as in
normal times.
This area has been depressed for a long long time, nothing really growing, so cutbacks are slow to be noticed.
I am amazed at the new stores opening, tho.

[azmouse]

30. Around Phoenix it looks like mainly big chain stores and a few grocery stores

[ThomWV]

31. Small construction companies are auctioning off equipment

A lot of light earth moving equipment and the office stuff of small companies going out of business. We get notices from several auction houses in northern West Virginia, eastern Maryland, and western Pennsylvania - more and more of these weekday small company auctions showing up.

[davsand]

32. We have been losing stores, mostly.

In the last year we lost a World Market, Steve and Berry's, a Payless Shoe Store, a Linens and Things, and several smaller boutique stores. The Circuit City is closing (or maybe is closed by now) and I heard a couple of days ago that we have one entire strip of about 6 store fronts that is probably gonna be dark within six months (the source on that rumor is a good one--I have zero reason to doubt it.)

Additionally, some of the local restaurants have been quietly shutting down or cutting back. I can think of about five or six that are completely shut down and are now sitting dark. I was talking to the manager at one of our favorite places the other day and HE was telling me he's not sure his corporate is gonna let them stay open much longer. What I'm seeing close up, is the stuff out in the "high rent" district where the rent expense is just too high for the level of sales to maintain.

I have also heard that we have a few hotels that are in deep water and not expected to survive another six months.

This is a university town with about 100,000 population plus the campus population.


Laura

[AyanEva]

33. Small businesses

Lots of small food places, independent grocery stores, little cafes and salons.

But oddly enough, there are a lot of discount cell phone service stores opening. Metro PCS and now something called CricKet, which just came out of nowhere.

[Kceres]

34. Many Mom & Pop establishments.

Worst of all, the Ace Hardware down the street is going OOB since Lowe's announced plans to build right down the street. We LOVE the Ace. It is big enough for a good inventory, but not so big that you can't find anything. The employees are so helpful and friendly, too. We will miss it terribly.

[peacefreak]

35. Small businesses mostly.

Family run department store
art store
gallery
consignment shop
gift shop
book store
the toy store is not restocking so I wonder how much longer they will be open

it just plain sucks.
I get very sad when I drive down Main St now.

[Mike 03]

36. Great question, and I look forward to reading everyone else's answers

Here it is:

Real estate and everything having to do with it
Construction, and everything having to do with it, like Home Depot

Small shops dealing in unusual items like antiques, dolls and homemade toys, a couple of independent investment firms, souvenirs (this is allegedly a tourist town, although I think that's a joke), mom and pop stores that compete with larger well known stores, herbs and health stores.

[rvablue]

37. As far as small, independant businesses this is what I've seen:

Clothing boutiques.

Antique shops.

Gift/novelty shops.

Trendy furniture stores.

Where I live the high-end shopping district, which never had vacancies, has about a 15% vacancy rate and the "For Lease" signs stay up and no one is moving in.

But then again, even on week nights, I see very full restaurants.

[Kahuna]

38. I went out on Rt. 22 in NE NJ today and I couldn't believe the activity..

The shopping centers had a lot of cars in the lots. A lot of people were out.

[NJCher]

54. tell me about it

That highway is always packed and I regularly sit in traffic jams on it.

For those who don't know this particular NJ monstrosity, it is a shopper's paradise. Not only are there stores on both sides of the road, there are stores on what could be called a "wide median."

I have noticed, however, that some of the restaurants seem to be feeling the pinch. One has a sign up for a lunch for $6.99." That's half the price of what lunch usually is in one of those places on that stretch of road.

Also, I can't recall if this is 22 or not but if it's not, it's close. There was an Applebee's or some other such restaurant packed with cars. When I looked closer, though, it was closed. The cars in the lot were overflow from the nearby dealership. Unsold cars, excess inventory.


Cher

[Kahuna]

69. I noticed the car dealerships (probably used) were bustling. PC Richards'

lot was empty. 6 Ave and Best Buy were much busier. I went to Target. The store was neither bustling nor empty. Seemed like regular middle of the month, non-holiday traffic to me.

[etherealtruth]

41. Just about any type of retail store and restaurants

I'm seeing virtually empty strip malls "everywhere." It is becoming scary.

[blue_onyx]

48. I know what you mean

When I was typing out the list of empty store in my other post, it felt like there are more closed stores that open ones.

[etherealtruth]

51. In my little slice of Metro-Detroit its eerie n/t

[Iggo]

42. Video stores (they were closing anyway)

Furniture stores.
Those clothing stores that sell clothes to like surfers and skaters.
An actual Starbuck's.
Circuit City, but everyone knew that (Ours was a brand new store that just opened last summer. I almost bought my computer there, but I got a better deal from the Geeks. I heard they may be in trouble, too.)

The sad thing is that there're no new stores going where the old stores were. They just sit there empty and it's starting to look a lot like the early to mid 1970's. I was only a kid then, so it didn't really phase me. But now that I know what I'm looking at, it gives me kind of the creeps.

EDITED TO ADD: Speaking of car dealerships, that huge Ford dealership up on Whittier Blvd closed over a year ago. Again, nothing has taken its place and it's just a huge big dusty empty lot.

[Critters2]

43. In the last few months, we've lost a Value City big-box store

(not as big as a Wal-mart, but same idea), a Ponderosa, a Starbucks, a Country Kitchen, and a Hardee's. So, it's mostly restaurants getting hit here.

[no_hypocrisy]

44. In a strip mall in Wayne, NJ, there's now only two stores opened out of 23.

At a Drug Fair in Bergen County, the shelves haven't been restocked and it's looking obvious they won't be.

[BuyingThyme]

46. Big specialty stores. Crafts, media, gifts...

[blue_onyx]

47. In the main shopping district in my city

we've lost: Circuit City, Cost Plus, Staples, TJ Maxx, a Showcase movie theater, Michael's, Hollywood video, Value City, and Denny's. The mall in this area lost KB Toys and Fan Zone (a sports store). There may have been more closing in the mall but I haven't been in there since Christmas.

These are the closing within a year or so. There's also an old Best Buy (moved down the street), Sam Club (moved to a neighboring city), another movie theater, and Service Merchandise which have been closed for a while.

[earth mom]

52. When we moved here there was 1 Walmart, 1 Target, 1 Home Depot and 1 Big Box Hardware.

10 years later, there are 3 Walmarts, 2 Targets, 2 Home Depots, 2 Big Box Hardwares and 1 Lowes among many other chains that have moved in.

This area hasn't grown that much-it's certainly not doubled or tripled- so it doesn't make sense to me to have so many stores.

Because with the exception of the Walmarts and 1 of the Targets, the stores are pretty much empty every time I shop them. Although I do not shop them Saturdays or Sundays during the day when the crowds are out.

I've also noticed that the local Nursery was really quiet when our family shopped there a few weeks ago on a Sunday. We shop there every spring and I could sense that things were off, the energy was way low. I fear that there will be many small shops closing in the coming months. :yoiks:

[NJCher]

55. big box blog

Did you know there's a blog that tracks the interesting ways communities are converting big box stores?

Can't find the link now, but thought that might be of interest.


Cher

[Angleae]

56. The Keg, Tony Romas, Linens & Things

[Vinca]

57. Actually, the only thing that has closed is the Home Depot and

it wasn't profitable from day one because people either supported the locally-owned businesses or went to the Home Depot a few miles down the road in a tax-free state. Rumor had it the only reason they opened the store in the first place was to keep Lowe's out of the area.

[krabigirl]

60. All kinds. Fancy boutiques, furniture stores, restaurants. Scary.

[skooooo]

61. nothing really..

...small college town.

[Paladin]

62. The Big Irish Pub In Our Neighborhood

I am absolutely inconsolable. God knows I did my part to keep it in business; I have to go miles and miles for a pint of Harp, now. Seriously, this really brought the economic meltdown home to me, more than anything else, so far.....

[skooooo]

64. Have a drink, Paladin..

..this too shall pass.

[Paladin]

65. Best Advice I've Received In A Long While.

I'll down that first pint in your honor.....

[Marr]

63. Electronics stores and computer specialty stores.

I wonder if it's because their inventory is so expensive and they couldn't get loans for the next quarter?

[jmowreader]

66. Mall stores and the national chains that liquidated anyway

Right now something like ten percent of the mall is shut down--the local enclosed mall has 100 store spaces, so that's pretty dramatic. We also lost Linens and Things, Circuit City and Goody's. I expect Kmart to go out of business within the year, but that will be a national shutdown; does anyone have a Kmart that's making money? My mom won't even go there anymore and for about three decades my mom thought Kmart and Safeway were the only two stores in America. OTOH, we have three Walmarts that are making plan, a Home Depot that's making plan, three Lowe's that are making plan including one that's been open less than a year, lots of restaurants including a couple new ones that are doing well, a thriving small-business community...

Our retail is somewhat different from y'all's retail: because Fayetteville adjoins Ft. Bragg, there's enough disposable income in town that a LOT of national retailers are here. This makes Fayetteville a shopping hub for a fairly densely populated area. You just don't see stores spread out in the region like you do in some places. The closest Home Depot is 50 miles away. The closest Macy's is in Raleigh. And so it goes. We have an Office Depot, an OfficeMax and a Staples very close to one another--if you stand in the middle of Morganton Road by the Burger King you can see all three stores--and all three are making plan. We have the world's busiest Walmart.

If I was going to name dead businesses walking, I'd say a lot of the touristy crap that popped up downtown in the last few years will go away, a lot of car-service places like detailers and rim/stereo stores, some of the independent truckers, lawn services, stuff like that.

[blue_onyx]

68. I think Kmart won't be around much longer either

It would be sad to see people lose their jobs but the store has gone down hill so much. We use to shop there all the time when I was growing up but I now only go there if they have something specific on sale that's not on sale elsewhere.

I'm actually surprised there haven't been more chains closing. I think Circuit City is the only one that's announced they're closing since the beginning of the year. A few more will probably follow sometime this year.

[treestar]

67. Only one that I've noticed

One of those work out gyms in strip mall, with weights. Though, for all I know, it could have merely relocated.

They even opened a Hooters (!) in another strip mall nearby. There is construction going on at another shopping center. The main mall did lose a department store, and is tearing it down to build something else.

[Theres-a]

70. Local restaurant Kathy John's

It's been there forever,near UCONN. They also had an attatched shop with lots of gifts,cards and stamping items(scrapbooking too).They had sandwiches and lunches mostly, and a full ice cream parlor menu.Popular with students and families and locals for years.Gone.

[peacefreak]

72. That's a shame.

I remember Kathy John's from many, many (many) moons ago. At least you guys still have the UCONN Dairy Bar.

[Theres-a]

82. True

But KJ's was an institution.

[Imagevision]

73. Ft. Lauderdale / Naples,Fl - Dealerships and strip malls up the kazoo!

[MrPerson]

75. Restaurants - Good ones.

Nothing makes me sadder than to see them close.

[ddeclue]

77. Restaurants, car dealerships, convenience stores, electronics stores.

Restaurants are the most obvious here in Orlando FL

[Stephanie]

78. Restaurants. We just walked up Hudson in the Village and saw so many for rent.

Mama Buddha is gone and Monster Sushi and that Italian place at Bank. Several times in the last few weeks we've walked to an old favorite restaurant to find it's gone - El Rey del Sol, e.g. LOTS of storefronts for rent in Manhattan suddenly. Greedy landlords have shot themselves in the foot.

[Ilsa]

80. Dry Cleaners. Small furniture sales/rental stores. nt

[Blue_In_AK]

81. The most recent one I've seen

is a high-end furniture store, but I'm not sure if he's going out of business because of the economy or other reasons. He's been in business for at least 30 years.

[Liberal_in_LA]

83. Anything related to Home purchases: Appliance/Furniture stores/gardening

[Posteritatis]

84. My neighborhood's lost a Walmart and a bunch of payday loan places

It's a bit of an outlier, I'd imagine, but I'm not sure how much I can argue with those going away.

The small businesses around town are doing alright, aside from restaurants (which always have an eyeblink turnaround here), though..