Thank you. I might be better acquainted with you now than I was earlier today. Apparently, you are the sort of person who would rather throw out an insult than go to the referenced source material. Glad to know you, ma'am or sir. Perhaps someday we will have a topic to discuss.

I didn't see any insults, just the facts...

@Shop-et-al wrote:

Thank you. I might be better acquainted with you now than I was earlier today. Apparently, you are the sort of person who would rather throw out an insult than go to the referenced source material. Glad to know you, ma'am or sir. Perhaps someday we will have a topic to discuss.

Great. What referenced source material would you be referring to? Is this the source material?

@Shop-et-al wrote:

There is too much background to put in a post, but all the information is in the world's long, large, and sometimes atrocious history.

I see nothing there but vague references. Please. Give me data. I'm interested.

One place to begin is with the above-mentioned long, large, and sometimes atrocious history of the world. Any starting point can lead you to anywhere and everywhere as you re-visit and explore familiar and unfamiliar bits of the history.....

If I were a schoolmarm, I could command you to start 'here!' or 'there!'. But this is cyberspace and you are free to discover or not. Oi!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/07/2020 01:00AM by Shop-et-al.

holymotherofGodIdidn'tknowitwaspossibletobeevenMOREvagueandtalkinMOREcirlces.

Circles. Or rhomboids. Or tangents, even! It is up to you how you approach it. Just start, already!

@bgriffin wrote:

holymotherofGodIdidn'tknowitwaspossibletobeevenMOREvagueandtalkinMOREcirlces.

You just can't fix crazy ...

And, you cannot even identify sane!

Y'all are adults. You do not need to have someone tell you how to start to learn. You just need to start! Oi!

@pegc wrote:

You just can't fix crazy ...

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/07/2020 01:08AM by Shop-et-al.

To the contrary, I am always learning, and have been for a long, long time. By your posturing on here about your "accomplishments," I'd say I'm older (and wiser) than you, have travelled more widely than you, have far more education than you, and have a far greater thirst for knowledge than you ... including examining all sides of an issue ... not just following a narrow party line. Try reading a book and/or newspapers instead of watching ancient tv shows and you might just open your mind and learn something ... In the meanwhile, do stop trying to force your opinions on the rest of us. No one cares nor is impressed.  

@bgriffin wrote:

holymotherofGodIdidn'tknowitwaspossibletobeevenMOREvagueandtalkinMOREcirlces.

Dear bgriffin, could you please not use such big words so that the less educated among us, like me, can undertand? Thank you. (JK!)

When did you start thinking that knowing something of history and the likely effects of now-repeated ideas and behaviors was connected in any way to a party line? People in the know are aware that history inevitably repeats itself unless people in power learn from previous mistakes and take effective steps to make a course correction. Much of the relevant information predates the current and previous political parties.

Thank you for mentioning books, newspapers, and shows from within and outside my home country. I read books, online and print news, and watch shows from other countries. It costs some money to access all these resources because they are not all in one place, but every cent is invested (one way or another) in my growing awareness of life here and in other places. Those shows have an ineffable something that is additive for me. I learn from information in my home country and from other countries. Perhaps you would enjoy some of those shows as well.

@pegc wrote:

.. not just following a narrow party line. Try reading a book and/or newspapers instead of watching ancient tv shows and you might just open your mind and learn something ...

[www.washingtonpost.com]

@ wrote:

The coronavirus pandemic is emerging as an existential threat to the nation’s small businesses — despite Congress approving a historic $700 billion to support them — with the potential to further diminish the place of small companies in the American economy.

The White House and Congress have made saving small businesses a linchpin of the financial rescue, even passing a second stimulus for them late last month. But already, economists project that more than 100,000 small businesses have shut permanently since the pandemic escalated in March, according to a study by researchers at the University of Illinois, Harvard Business School, Harvard University and the University of Chicago. Their latest data suggests at least 2 percent of small businesses are gone, according to a survey conducted May 9 to 11.

The carnage has been even higher in the restaurant industry, where 3 percent of restaurant operators have gone out of business, according to the National Restaurant Association.

Tearful, heartfelt announcements about small-business closures are popping up on websites and Facebook pages around the country. Analysts warn this is only the beginning of the worst wave of small-business bankruptcies and closures since the Great Depression. It’s simply not possible for small businesses to survive with no income coming in for weeks followed by reopening at half capacity, many owners say.

Deterioration has begun, as expected.

Coronavirus devastating small businesses: One-third won’t reopen, 55% won’t rehire same workers, Facebook survey finds

[www.cnbc.com]

I feel really bad. There was a new restaurant I had been frequenting on my own dime (which had shops in my area too, but that I never could schedule conveniently) that may be a casualty. Open less than one year, I think, and then BOOM. Virus hit. I wouldn't say they were packed, but had a decent flow of business from what I could tell.

@ wrote:

Of small and medium-sized businesses that have been forced to shut down during the coronavirus pandemic, more than half of owners surveyed by Facebook said they won’t rehire the same workers they had before the crisis.

In a report released Monday, Facebook said it surveyed 86,000 small and medium-sized business owners, managers and employees for an ongoing data initiative with the World Bank and Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. The report highlights the lasting economic impact of the coronavirus and the especially dire effect it’s having on smaller businesses without the same level of access to capital that larger corporations often have.

According to the report, only 45% of owners and managers of small and medium-sized businesses surveyed by Facebook said they would rehire the same workers they were forced to let go or furlough once they reopen. If that estimate holds true for similar businesses across the country, it could devastate predictions for a swift economic recovery from the crisis.

About a third of closed businesses surveyed said they do not expect to reopen, with many citing an inability to pay bills or rent.

I can think of shops that were small biz in my area too that could be gone: taco shop, donut shop, bbq shop, sushi shop, etc. None were big franchises and/or publicly traded companies.

When considering whether or not to return to work in light of the UI benefits you are currently getting this article sheds some light on how to navigate. This seems to be mostly written with W2 people in mind but i think the same guidelines apply for gig workers. Also many who read here do have W2 jobs so I thought it might be an interesting article.

[www.npr.org]

Business Insider lists 900 chain restaurants that have closed permanently (as of June 10th writing):
[www.businessinsider.com]

@ wrote:

It has begun.

As soon as the pandemic hit, restaurant-industry experts knew that many restaurants wouldn't make it through. On April 1, UBS predicted that one in five restaurants may close as a result of the pandemic.

While independent restaurants have been hit much harder than many chains, chains aren't immune. Chains often rely on independent owner-operators to run restaurants, and these franchises often don't have the same robust financial resources of the brands they represent. On Wednesday, Starbucks became the latest chain to announce a wave of permanent closures in its latest SEC filing.

I mostly only went to the Starbucks at my campus job or Target, while getting my more frequent coffee at home or at Panera, but still sad to hear their mighty chain is not immune. One just opened up near me too. Very nicely designed. Would be sad to see that building to torn down.

Here are some permanent closings listed:

@ wrote:

TGI Fridays: as many as 20% of the chain's 386 restaurants
Steak 'n Shake: 51 restaurants
Sweet Tomatoes/Souplantation: all 97 restaurants
Denny's: 16 restaurants
Brio Italian Mediterranean and Bravo Italian Cucina: 71 restaurants
Specialty's Bakery and Cafe: all 33 restaurants
Ruby Tuesday: 147 restaurants since January 23
Le Pain Quotidien: up to 63 out of 98 restaurants
IHOP: at least 49 restaurants in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee
Starbucks The coffee chain announced in its June 10 SEC filing that it would close up to 400 company-owned stores in the next 18 months in the US, and up to 200 in Canada. However, the closures will be offset by the development of new stores, bringing the total number of Starbucks stores up by a net 300 locations by the end of the 2020 fiscal year.

Ruby Tuesdays - sad to see them closing a bunch. At one point in time, they were my go-to restaurant for the salad bar (about 8 years ago?). They wore off on me, however, with better salad bar options elsewhere.

Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 06/13/2020 09:33AM by shoptastic.

Here is the retail version (also as of June 10th writing):
[www.businessinsider.com]
4,300 confirmed closures:

@ wrote:

Retailers are expected to close more than 4,300 stores this year, following record-high rates of closings last year.

More than 9,300 store closings were announced in the US in 2019, smashing the previous record of roughly 8,000 store closures in 2017, according to an analysis by Business Insider.

The number of store closings this year could be even higher than previous records, according to estimates from the real estate firm Cushman & Wakefield. The firm estimated last year —prior to the coronavirus pandemic — that as many as 12,000 major chain stores could close in 2020.

Pier 1 Imports: 450 stores
GameStop: 320 stores
Signet Jewelers: 300 stores
Papyrus: 254 stores
Victoria's Secret: 238 stores
Gap: 230 stores
Tuesday Morning 230 stores
Walgreens: 200 stores
Chico's: 200 stores
Wilsons Leather and G.H. Bass: 199 stores
Destination Maternity: 183 stores
Forever 21: 178 stores
JCPenney: 162 stores
Modell's: 153 stores
A.C. Moore: 145 stores
Macy's: 125 stores
Art Van Furniture: 125 stores
Bose: 119 stores
Guess: 100 stores
Olympia Sports: 76 stores
Sears: 51 stores
Earth Fare: 50 stores
Bath & Body Works: 50 stores
Kmart: 45 stores
Bed, Bath & Beyond: 44 stores
Lucky's Market: 32 stores
Express: 31 stores
Neiman Marcus: 20 stores
Nordstrom: 19 stores
Hallmark: 16 stores
Walmart: 3 stores

Walmart surprised me. Really? Figured they'd be one of the few to thrive.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/13/2020 09:31AM by shoptastic.

This June 11 article says up to 25,000 retail stores expected to close this year (lists some recent announcements):
[www.businessinsider.com]

I have been following retail history and news for years and years... and this is not a surprise. Some stores will be missed! Others, I never experienced. Fortunately, I can still shop online with various remaining stores and brands.

________

So, what will become of the erstwhile busy malls? Will we be paid to check the empty locations and verify that no remaining traces of the former occupants remain? Will someone tear down the structures? Are any malls on arable land? If so, that land could be returned to ag purposes. With more available land, it would be easier to rotate crops and have fallow times. These conditions contribute to sustainable ag. A focused effort could contribute to the food supply which just now is challenged. This would benefit all eaters. There would be something for omnivores, carnivores, fruitarians, vegetarians, and vegans.

@Shop-et-al wrote:

I have been following retail history and news for years and years... and this is not a surprise. Some stores will be missed! Others, I never experienced. Fortunately, I can still shop online with various remaining stores and brands.

Yeah, mall retail has been dying, but strip mall retail has been fine.

COVID has hurt all retail, so that part is new.

@ wrote:

So, what will become of the erstwhile busy malls? Will we be paid to check the empty locations and verify that no remaining traces of the former occupants remain? Will someone tear down the structures? Are any malls on arable land?

I rarely had mall shops. Sarku was one of them and there were some chicken, taco, and dessert food shops in malls. No clothing, jewelry, etc. shops (at least, not in my area that I know of). There is only so much food one can eat, so mall closings wouldn't have affected me much.

Strip mall shops were more common. Many will still be around. As I said in another thread, they've perfected strip mall "tenantry." Strip malls have non-Amazonable and non-outsourceable stores:

nail and hair salons
cell phone carriers
gyms
restaurants and cafes
education/tutoring/childcare
furniture
discount stores (ROSS, Dollar Tree, Marshalls, etc.)

Anything you basically HAVE to go do/see/buy in person and/or is a discount-style store (that Amazon doesn't easily compete against) have been the focus of strip malls. Traditional malls were still relevant when I was growing up, but I did notice their decline. They became populated with unruly teens and many stores became unnecessary due to the internet and e-commerce.

Strip malls tend to have less "bad teens" hanging around them and have stores that people have to go to still (and all clustered in one place).

Shops for many strip mall businesses could still exist. But, COVID has definitely hurt even businesses that were "okay" pre-virus. ROSS is back open in my city. I heard from a friend that she saw people not wearing masks in there, even though our Gov. Northam has mandated it throughout the state and the staff were not enforcing it.

I'd love it if ms shops checked employees for mask compliance and if they enforce it with customers. Part of feeling safe as a real shopper, for me, would be to see that people had to wear masks (like Costco) and the staff enforced it.

In my small town world, the strip malls were not subjected to rioting. Some might have incurred some nasty graffiti. A few were shouted at by protestors-- well, wind might have blown the words away from human ears and in the direction of structures. (It is said that shouting and screaming will eventually cause a tree to fall. This helped David with Goliath. Does the lesson of the legend apply to buildings? Is it possible that shouting at a building will weaken its foundations or those of the occupants and passersby?) Anyway, our little strip malls are still in their own phases of development and decay which began pre-covid and are somewhat affected by current covid factors. The tenants have changed ~90% during my decades here., which began long before covid-19 became a thing. They will change again in future due to whatever factors will exist after the covid-19 hoopla has subsided.

Will I personally or mystery shop there/then? Who knows.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/13/2020 06:45PM by Shop-et-al.

per Lyn Alden tweet and CNBC today:
Restaurant bookings on the rise. Now down 75% YoY rather than down 100%.
[cnbc.com]

Also in the link:

Flights now only down 80% YoY (vs down 95% in April).

Hotel occupancy now up to 40% (vs April at 20%, and 60% at the beginning of the year).


Yes, that's positive, but we have a LONGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG way to go.

Falling again.

Waiting for quick rehiring and plan new things to work for us.
Message: [www.prorepsvs.com]

@ wrote:

'An estimated 3% of U.S. restaurants have closed for good since the start of the crisis, according to the National Restaurant Association. The trade group expects tens of thousands of restaurants will shut as a result of the pandemic.'

from today's Wall Street Journal: [www.wsj.com]

I did one shop today, just a quick audit. But I don't think I'm going to do anymore for awhile.
No one was wearing a mask, people were standing on top of each other, and just as I was walking out the door a person standing at the checkout started coughing and didn't cover their mouth.
I'm one of those that is at high risk, due to several health problems, and had been staying at home and doing all shopping by curbside pickup. Just heard on the news that they had 64 new reported cases of covid for yesterday. half were in the county next to my county.

Hope you all are well.
Stay safe

Back in the beginning of March, I expected to return to work full-bore by mid-July. However, I did not forsee that too many selfish, inconsiderate, and stupid people (not necessarily mystery shoppers) would ignore the advice of medical professionals by refusing to take the coronavirus pandemic seriously, social distance, or even wear masks in public. The result was and is that the pandemic has spiraled out of control, which will cause still more businesses to fail permanently, and I cannot forsee when it might be safe for me to go back to work.

I suspect that when the time comes that it is safe to resume working, I will start gradually with drive-thru shops, rather than shops where I come in contact with many other employees and customers. It is so sad and frustrating that actions of many inconsiderate, or perhaps ignorant, people have made this pandemic much worse, more deadly, and more lengthy than it needed to be in this country.

Same here. I've decided I won't return to work until there is a vaccine or everyone starts wearing masks always and we get this thing under control.

I have been working in each month. I have not gotten sick. I use masks and gloves for most gigs.

The issue now is my dwindling stash of masks & gloves and scarce/costly replacements.

I started back up this month, but will not be doing any "road trips" for shopping for a while.