''shops are boarded up everywhere you look.'' and this wouldn't...

''shops are boarded up everywhere you look.''

and this wouldn't have anything to do with a cost of living crisis at all?

monstrous rents, homelessness and housing crisis?

it may come as a surprise to some (god forbid how?) ----------- but, when people seriously struggle to keep a roof over their heads - they stop spending on other stuff

should not exactly be a difficult concept to grasp really - but, many seem to find some part of the idea - difficult to understand