[fwdude]

I know online shopping has been the thing the last decade or so, but this never has affected black Friday weekend in the past. I drove around the past two days and the malls were literally dead.

I guess when people have to pay double the price for groceries and other necessities they don’t have room for gifts.

[SamAdams76]

Based on the conga line of UPS, FedEx, USPS, and Amazon trucks snaking through my neighborhood, it is clear that people are buying a lot of stuff. Just not at the actual stores.

I also got stuck behind a school bus one morning a couple weeks ago and got an idea of how many children are in my neighborhood - a lot!

I never see children playing outside but you can see them get on school buses on frosty mornings in their pajama bottoms, flip flops, and gold chain necklaces. I don't think these kids have ever really gotten a healthy dose of fresh air. They seem to be indoors nearly 100% of the time and I'm thinking that can't be good long term.

[Nextrush]

Bottom line online sales up 7.5 percent barely ahead of inflation in other words flat.

Overall sales up 2.5 percent not keeping pace with inflation.

The malls were dead with declining sales in other words.