Convenience

I'm a creature of habit (and compulsion and addiction). Since I started work, I've made a tradition of wandering over to the drug store in the underground mall a couple of times a week to load up on a few bottles of Coke Zero (300+ Coke Reward Points and nothing to spend them on) for the constant and static check-out price of $6.69.
Monday I wandered over, grabbed my bottles and lugged them to the counter. After I signed the receipt, the clerk told me I'd need to stock up -- Friday would be their last day in business.
I was visibly shaken by this announcement.
The clerk told me the mall was raising his rent and that he couldn't afford it.
They had offered him a smaller space, but he has no way to cram all the convenience into a smaller store.
As a result, this dedicated small business owner is out on the street, and I'm out of a place to buy bottles of Coke Zero for less than $1.50 each. I would hate to have to decide which of us is the most crushed by this.
I thought about the business climate in this tiny mall. There are several fast food places, an independent theatre and an off-branded Starbucks (owned by the hotel, unable to accept the Starbucks card) and people wander in during lunch mostly.
They get no traffic from people who don't work directly above the mall, since it costs to park and there are other, better places to go.
The mall has to make money, but forcing this guy out of business just feels wrong.
Is it his fault mall revenue is down and property taxes are up?
Is he to blame for providing 90% of the non-fast food items office people need from time-to-time which causes him to fill such a large store with goods?
Should the convenience provided by this gentleman and (I assume) his family be sacrificed on the altar of corporate greed?

Meh.

How do I know?

I just know that he'd move more product if he wasn't asking $7.99 for a dusty bottle of Arrid X-tra Dry that expired in 2002.

Last night I manned the fort while my family went out and gathered candy from the neighbors. We feel it is important to have someone home to hand out l3w+ given the large numbers of teenaged trick-or-treaters who stop by -- probably armed with toilet paper and eggs.
I sat by the door, dropping grim reaper bubbles and rubber ducks in the treat bags of costumed visitors and reading comics on the laptop.
I read Batman and Dracula and the Vampirella Halloween Special. It seemed appropriate.
Today NaNoWriMo officially begins. Goodbye, free time. I knew you when.