gloria.p > wrote:

>> In a recession, restaurants run out of ingredients more
>> often. Because of lower demand the wholesalers do fewer truck rolls
>> to the customers. Both store shelves and restaurants are likely
>> to be missing items.

>> Happens every recession, particularly when gas prices are also high.

>It's not just restaurants. Have you walked through a mall lately?

I try to avoid it. :-)

>No matter how they try to disguise it with pretty murals, a LOT of
>stores have closed and the ones remaining have less and less merchandise
>to sell. The prices don't seem to have dropped, however.

>Recession is becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy. You can't buy what
>they don't have in stock to sell. Restaurants are in tougher shape
>because their merchandise is so subject to spoilage.

Yes, completely true.

You'll know it's bad if hardware store start looking poorly-stocked.
Those places are very dependent upon giving the appearance that
they have on hand any item you might conceivably want.

Steve