Interesting post.
That is a usual scenario that you have come across...shops are empty, and most have been for a while. There are however some good ones out there, that resell sometimes better pricing than auction, and they are the ones who will stay open, stocked and in business, because their markups are lower, they rely on volume to peddle their goods, hence they will succeed in the long run.
Seeing you mentioned it, would be interesting to know who is chipping out...so we can cash in on their demise...as the sky continues to fall
