I wonder how the collapse of small retail businesses compares to the big boys in terms of people losing work? I will bet that this quiet downturn is far bigger than a few big businesses going bust. I've noticed in my town numerous shops closing down. The high street is is beginning to look like 1 in 10 shops has closed. I'm pretty sure it's going to get a lot worse before it gets better. People just don't have spare money to spend. We've reached debt saturation point.