Welcome to Thunderdome

Everything is fine...

Even "the wealthy" are struggling.

BOA warns the housing market is "stuck" until at least 2026.

Low inventory, high prices, high rates = one dead as fuck American dream.

Walgreens is shuttering many locations.

Finding a new job is getting harder.

Walgreens, Rite-Aid, and CVS closing lots of stores.

There are three Walgreens in my 2 mile drive from the expressway to the house. There were three Rite-Aids, but one is closed, another is closing, and I didn't notice the status of the third. This is just on one road too. Go over to a parallel road and you'll find more.

They don't mention it, but I'll bet the grocer chains getting more involved in the pharmacy business really hurt them badly.

Leisher wrote: ↑Fri Jun 28, 2024 10:02 am There are three Walgreens in my 2 mile drive from the expressway to the house.

Yeah, we're surrounded by drug stores as well.

Leisher wrote: ↑Fri Jun 28, 2024 10:02 am They don't mention it, but I'll bet the grocer chains getting more involved in the pharmacy business really hurt them badly.

I can barely even use a pharmacy. First time prescriptions, then they all have to be mail order.

When CVS bought the Target pharmacies, we ended up with two CVS's in the same parking lot. 7 years later, they are both still open. Add the Kroger in the same lot, and you have 3 RX's. The Walgreens that was across the intersection from those 3 did close though.

I have come to the conclusion that we don't have too many pharmacies. It's that we have a lot of drugs being prescribed. I'm not going to say 'too many', because I don't know peoples' stories. But when you can get a prescription to combat 'restless leg syndrome'. . . I feel like an argument can be made.

Cakedaddy wrote: ↑Fri Jun 28, 2024 10:37 am I have come to the conclusion that we don't have too many pharmacies. It's that we have a lot of drugs being prescribed. I'm not going to say 'too many', because I don't know peoples' stories. But when you can get a prescription to combat 'restless leg syndrome'. . . I feel like an argument can be made.

There is definitely truth in your words here.

Counterpoint: Better living through chemistry.

I should have added, I've never been in a pharmacy (and I've been in 100's) and heard the staff say "Finally. We're all caught up."

They get irritated by a 5 minute system delay, and they love it when you take the phones down so that they will stop ringing.

My perception is that it has been shown prices have gone up more than inflation would account for, and many corporations are posting record profits, and it got so bad that even our senile president commented on it as a campaign promise.

GORDON wrote: ↑Sun Jun 30, 2024 9:06 am is that it has been shown prices have gone up more than inflation would account for,

This doesn't make sense.

GORDON wrote: ↑Sun Jun 30, 2024 9:06 am and many corporations are posting record profits

So people must have a lot of money they want to spend.

TheCatt wrote: ↑Sun Jun 30, 2024 9:38 am So people must have a lot of money they want to spend.

As we've covered, a certain part of the population, sure. The majority are struggling.

TheCatt wrote: ↑Sun Jun 30, 2024 9:38 am GORDON wrote: ↑Sun Jun 30, 2024 9:06 am
is that it has been shown prices have gone up more than inflation would account for,
This doesn't make sense.

I thought about this a little longer, and I think I understand what you were saying.

The way I would think about it is that you had a large shock to demand (stimulus payments), but supply curve in the short term are very inelastic. You can't just build a new factory in a month, right?

So, cars, for example. People suddenly have 25% more money to spend than they had before. So they want to buy a car. But, the # of cars in production can't go up easily. So the prices of cars go up a LOT in the short term due to increased demand. If more capacity comes online in 1-3 years, then prices will reach a new equilibrium, but in the meantime, profits go up disproportionately due to the 25% increase in money. So profits go up, let's say, 50%, but "inflation" is only 25%. In this simple example.

The entire world's debt crisis is looming.

Maybe governments should stop spending?

Leisher wrote: ↑Mon Jul 08, 2024 11:44 am Walgreens closing around 2150 stores.

, too close to each other

In my town it feels like we have one every 2 blocks.

I wonder if there's a lesson there...

Who needs such a chart? It's one massive "duh".

Toledo was just ranked "most affordable city in the country" or some such thing, by someone.

Splains why my house value hasn't shot up enough to retire on, like everyone else.

Leisher wrote: ↑Thu Jul 11, 2024 8:39 am Who needs such a chart? It's one massive "duh".

Maybe people who run cities in the upper left quadrant?

TheCatt wrote: ↑Thu Jul 11, 2024 8:56 am

Leisher wrote: ↑Thu Jul 11, 2024 8:39 am Who needs such a chart? It's one massive "duh".

Maybe people who run cities in the upper left quadrant?

They would have to actually care about their citizens though.