It’s understandable that when people see empty storefronts, they infer it’s the mark of economic malaise. It is not. What’s not taken into account by jumping to that conclusion is that times change, marketplace dynamics change, shopping habits change.
Consumers are spending money, all right, just in different places and in different ways. A storefront that made sense in past decades for a succession of business tenants simply may not make sense any more for any tenant. Looking at it another way, when was the last time you had milk delivered to your doorstep? How commerce is conducted is ever changing, as it should be. There will be collateral damage in the process, for sure. What’s the antidote? Change with the times.
