We went to North County Fair (largest mall in North County, in Escondido) last Friday. We’ve been watching it over the years to try and gauge where the economy is (one of many indicators). A few years ago, we saw a lot of stores close, and the crowds really thinned. The parking lot was much emptier than usual during that Christmas season…but then everything seemed to bounce back.
Just this past week, we noticed more stores closing — right before Christmas — than we’ve ever seen before. There were people looking, but not shopping much. Retailers certainly seemed to be hurting more.
Still waiting for the Outlet Mall in Carlsbad to slow down. That place it NUTS, and there is still no sign of a slowdown there, IMHO. They do have a lot of tourists at that mall, though, mostly from Asia.
Also, the Forum shopping center (South CBD/Encinitas) has really slowed down this past year. The restaurants that used to have long lines and wait times, now are almost empty on many nights. This is a fairly upscale center.
