Does anyone feel bad for the small businesses?

anteaterscientist_IHB

anteaterscientist_IHB

New member
<p>One example is Maui Wowi on Jamboree x Main, looks empty everytime. The worker was sitting of the sofa. I wanted to try the place out, but felt too awkward to go in. Kiwiberry in Walnut/Jeffrey plaza is also empty, the location is so tucked in. I don't know what happened to the pet dog speciality store that was in Barranca plaza. It's too bad to see small businesses like this. </p>
 
I often feel bad for small businesses. In Cerritos, there is a fairly new Johnnie's Frozen Yogurt which seems like it is staying alive so far. But within a couple miles on Pioneer street (next to little india) there is a Yogurtland opening up.



Then again, I see some small businesses that are closed on Sunday for example. Very strange...
 
I feel bad for just about every tenant in the Orchard Hills center. Not that there isn't some customer base, but it's a lot smaller than it was supposed to be when it was going up with the delay at OH.
 
Rubio's Restaurant latest Conference Call.



Affected by subprime crisis, high commodities and gas prices, tortillas...ay caramba!



<blockquote>Starting in the third and fourth weeks of November and continuing through the year-end, we experienced a general softening in our business, the result of a weakened economy being pressured by higher gasoline prices and the subprime problems in housing.



All of our markets experienced downward pressure on sales during this time. However, three markets in particular, Phoenix, Sacramento, and the Inland Empire region of Los Angeles, all on the front end of the subprime loan problems were primarily responsible for our weakening fourth quarter comps.



Worsening economic conditions simply caused consumers to pullback on discretionary spending. In turn, comp sales turned negative in these markets for November and December weighing heavily on our overall results despite continued positive fourth quarter comps in all other markets. In fact, excluding Phoenix, Sacramento, and the Inland Empire, our Q4 comps sales would have been 3% versus 1.7% before adjusting for the impact of the Southern California wildfires.</blockquote>


<a href="http://seekingalpha.com/article/71482-rubios-restaurants-inc-q4-2007-earnings-call-transcript?source=yahoo&page;=-1">Conference Call Transcript</a>
 
The other day I went to the food court next to Sam's Club on Barranca/Von Karmen (across from the District) and half of the places were closed. Did I just happen to go at the wrong time/day or are they closed permanently?
 
This is a cool thread I've just stumbled upon. I often drive by the many shops in Orange County and wonder "how do these stores stay in business." And then I remember all the HELOCS I've done for self-employed people. It's tough in a normal price environment for small businesses to survive in corporate owned America, let alone a stag-flationary depression with plummeting asset values.



I've read before that prior to 1960, 90% of Americans were self-employed. Barbers, lawyers, grocers, bakers, ranchers, butchers, shoe makers, boutiques, etc. Now we are owned by Home Depot, Wal-Mart, Best Buy, and Starbucks.



Good luck small business owners!
 
Seems like one of the few non-chain businesses these days are dry cleaners. Some of these older businesses sit fat and happy with regulars and offer piss-poor service. While some of the newer startups (like the one in the District by Target) seem to go the extra steps to stay in business.
 
That's good to hear. The "green" dry cleaner over at North Park was charging twice as much to launder my dress shirts as my husband's. The only difference between the two was which side the buttons buttoned on. >:-(
 
You might be kissing the drycleaners goodbye too in a few years.



My new steam dryer has pretty much gotten rid of the need to dryclean. Instead of two trips, I have none. Business hours? Ha!



I used to run a one-person consulting business. Got hired by a client. It's not bad. Unlike retail, I didn't have to fire anyone, break a lease, etc.
 
EvaL dry cleaners, green or not have been doing that for years.

There was a tv expose' on that in Miami, maybe 20 years ago.

Nothing changed. . .anywhere, I guess.



I wonder what else women get charged more for?



Still.
 
Believe it or not, 10 or more years ago, the state legislature here outlawed that kind of activity (the "Unruh Act," CCC sec 51 or so), but they *still* do it. I probably should have taken them to small claims or reported it to the attorney general's office (who enforces the legislation as unfair competition), but I never did. I mostly stopped going there.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top