[VLM]

"spendable cash" is dramatically declining not just stagnating. But when you can't afford $50 anymore to take your date to the movies or a $100 bar tab for an evening, suddenly a "coffee and a cupcake" $10 date starts sounding pretty good. Think replacing more expensive options, not adding a new expense. The $5 customer base is rapidly expanding from the formerly $50 customer base, not shrinking.

The faddishness of it is annoying. We're allowed 10 new cupcake retailers per year and nothing else opens. Why can't my son, who's medically diagnosed as gluten intolerant, have a nice gourmet beef jerky bar or gourmet fried egg restaurant or something, anything other than endless cupcake stores?

[rayiner]

"We're allowed"?

[VLM]

the small business class in my local area seems intensely conformist not rebels. So if one of them opens a cupcake shop they all have to open cupcake shops. Weird.

We're also undergoing a gym bubble where we've recently added several "curves" "24 hr fitness", several golds gyms, and plenty of non chain gyms. "Four of my entrepreneur friends just opened a gym, I better open one too to keep up!".