Retail stores continue to close by the hundreds. The retail apocalypse continues to sweep across America as our purchasing power is getting squeezed by many different fronts these days. After paying for housing, energy, gas, groceries and other monthly bills, most of us are left with an increasingly smaller amount of money for discretionary expenses. And some of us, aren't even spending that money at all - but rather saving it to weather the storm that is ahead. Consequently, even some of the biggest companies in the US are suffering from decling sales, shrinking profits and weaker earnings results. Many of them were already barely making it after two very complicated years for our economy - with a pandemic, supply chain problems, inflation and soaring commodity prices making conditions extremely difficult for these businesses. And now they are having to make some tough choices as we enter the holiday season. Even big names such as McDonalds and Disney are announcing they will be closing several locations in an attempt to cut costs and survive the downturn that is unfolding before our eyes.