48sq ft of retail space per person in the US

[2lazy2retire]

http://www.safehaven.com/article/33929/retail-death-rattle-grows-louder

[matchewed]

So? Are you making an assertion that the author of that scare tactic of an article is correct? The economic recovery in the US is somehow fake and we're on the edge of a precipice?

If so what are you doing about it? What do you recommend? How would you mitigate an economic disaster and what does that disaster entail? I notice the author isn't saying anything about how it will go down. Their analytical capability seems limited at pointing at every random thing they can and shouting watch out.

Or rather what value does this article and post provide? What is the takeaway? I find it funny that scare tactic articles never get around to talking about the risk mitigation that people should consider in light of this dawning realization that the economic engine is about to breakdown.

And holy shit look at that labor force participation rate. My G-d we're running towards a cliff don't you all see that?


Or should we look at it differently and realize that the labor force participation rate has little to do with how the economy is doing?


Look I'm not going to get into tearing all the points apart. I'll just leave it as my first question, so?

[naloj]

Blockbuster and dozens of others are already closing stores by the hundreds. Thousands more will follow.

I found it amusing that Blockbuster didn't even have a hundred stores to close when this article was written.

[odput]

It was exactly four months ago when I wrote THE RETAIL DEATH RATTLE. Here are a few terse anecdotes from that article:

You lost me at anecdote...

[J Boogie]

I got psyched reading this.  I'm happy that many chain stores are going to crumble and die.  Obviously I'm not happy knowing people are out of jobs, and it might be a rough transition, but the US economy shouldn't be so reliant on consumer spending.  This could be an evolution to an economy that truly creates value.

[matchewed]

I got psyched reading this.  I'm happy that many chain stores are going to crumble and die.  Obviously I'm not happy knowing people are out of jobs, and it might be a rough transition, but the US economy shouldn't be so reliant on consumer spending.  This could be an evolution to an economy that truly creates value.

Well it's the presentation that retail = economy and that retail is crumbling and dying. Blockbuster isn't (wasn't? aren't they dead by now?) dying because people aren't renting media we're just changing how we consume media. Target has a terrible reputation after their utter failure in handling a security breach. Staples AKA Office Depot to be. The point being that retail stores rise and fall. To look at all the falls and paint some picture that the economy is going to Hindenburg any moment is just boogie man talk. There probably will be other chain stores.

That being said expecting a slower growth economy is a completely reasonable assumption. And that is one that should be factored in when making financial plans and decisions. Keep your assumptions conservative and you may be surprised when you cross the finish line earlier. There sound financial advice without invoking a flaming blimp.