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Tax crap. An empty rental lot can be used to offset taxes from a more profitable location of the same owner - you just use virtual or real expenses such as mortgage payments.

The ultra rich are, once again, externalizing costs to society (because a run-down mall is a blight that takes down the value of everything around it) while taking and gobbling their profits.

The other alternative is that instead of niche specialty dealerships, you got national or even international chains moving in, that sell cheap-ass clothes from Bangladesh or other sweatshops in masses.

The landlords do not care what type of tenants are renting (for the most part). They just rent to a new retail customer that thinks they can survive. I'm sure there's a 6 degrees to Spirit Halloween to compete with Bacon.

Retail is not dieing. Spetiality retail is dieing though.

Specialty retail is what I generally buy from brick and mortar as it's almost always cheaper in-store compared to what I find online.

IF you can find the store at all maybe. Your city might not even have one store depending on the specialty.