fiona_glass

Credit crunch, economic downturn, call it what you like, but it's starting to get noticeable.  On our local high street in the last few weeks we've lost: a chain-store sports wear company (probably gone bust); Clintons Cards (mysteriously closed); McDonalds (yes, McDonalds - mysteriously closed); Select (cheap womens' fashions, probably gone bust); Rosebys (gone bust); and now we're likely to lose Woolworths as well.  On a relatively small high street, it makes a sizeable hole - and that's just the big names.  Other, smaller businesses are closing every week. 

Mind you, I can't say I blame them.  Last week I went into the huge W H Smith in Birmingham city centre.  it's the size of several aircraft hangars *g* with magazines etc downstairs and an enormous area upstairs for books, dvds, music, stationery, cards, and business equipment.  Apart from me, I think there were four people wandering around.  Nobody was queueing at the tills when I took my purchases to pay.  And when I went back to buy something I'd forgotten, there was still no queue - and three of the other four customers had gone.  It was a very strange feeling, in a store that used to be packed.

Is anyone else noticing the same sort of thing?