Suit shopping during the recession

[LuckyTheDog]

I needed two new suits because I am interviewing for jobs and, thanks to some big weight loss, my old suits and dress shirts don't fit anymore. So, on Saturday, I went shopping at a local men's store.

While I was in the store, it hit me: It was a Saturday afternoon and I was one of only two customers in that store at the time. And I would not have been there unless I was out of work and looking for a new job.

I was able to put $650 on my credit card for the new threads -- which makes me fortunate. But it's not like I'll be back any time soon. I wonder if that store will still be there a year from now.

[skygazer]

1. My grocery store is starting to see it

The only department that is still bringing in the pre-recession sales is mine - liquor. People drink when times are good and they drink when times are bad. But they're cutting back on a lot of other stuff, even in a grocery store.

[Odin2005]

2. My local mall was eerily dead this weekend.

I hate malls but had to go there to pick up something for my GF's birthday. It's usually packed with teens and fellow 20-somethings on Saturdays, not yesterday.

[mwooldri]

3. I think malls are dying off anyway...

at least where I am they seem to be dying, even before this economic crisis.

Department stores seem to be scrambling to get their own sites, away from the malls and essentially become upscale big-box stores. In about 5 years a single-storey mall in Burlington had 3 anchor stores and maybe 1 store available to let. Now there's 1 anchor store (the two department stores moved) and 2/3rds of the stores are available to let. There was a food court there, not any more. Seems everything moved to an outdoor "village" type setting instead a couple of miles down the road, spread out, baking hot in summer, freezing cold in winter, wet in the rain... looks nice but again another car magnet.

I guess the main Four Seasons mall in Greensboro will suffer a similar fate soon. I don't see so many people around there these days and I'm seeing plenty of gaps where there used to be stores.

Mark.