totally agree! absurd to blame inflation. tons of other covid-related factors have hit small businesses much much much harder until now- they fucking couldn't pay the rents!-then there's the crime wave.

Inflation has JUST ONLY NOW to affect these kind of businesses, wouldn't been a factor until now and it's not at all the "store closing" scenario -- just now reading how it has blindsided them and they are raising prices as fast as they can to counteract the effect-in some cases right now they are changing prices on inventory they own to counteract what they think they will have to pay to replace them. Which fuels the problem!!!

Let's not beat around the bush: for stores, and entities like Amazon THE DIFFICULTY FINDING WORKERS WILLING TO ACCEPT THE SAME WAGES IS THE MAIN CAUSE for closing until now. No two ways about it. If you got to pay higher wages all of a sudden to many workers = higher prices will follow soon after and the raises will often not be much of a raise at all, will last only a few months and then you'll basically be in the same place.

The only other main factor is shipping costs. These are normally very much tied to gas prices. BUT that wasn't the case this time, the problem started way before oil prices went up, the reason: SUPPLY CHAIN PROBLEMS DUE TO COVID RESTRICTIONS. Also the lack of workers problem as here too.

 What you see there is the inhibition of global trade, which does offer savings and low prices. Like it or not, this would be the same effect of inhibition of global trade with tariffs and the like, as DagBlog member Hal C. likes to support. You want much higher prices of inflation? Restrict your trade, go protectionist, local products only and you'll see them It's the part of the argument Hal never makes: you want higher prices and fewer choices doncha? They're seeing it in the UK right now with Brexit and all covid-related issues combined; everyone's complaining about the crazy rocketing prices for food.

(One can give worse examples like Iran and Afghanistan --- see how many small businesses close and how high prices go when there's basically a blockade -- go local indeed, and don't feed your own people until you reduce their number a lot.)