The global economy

We are accustomed to seeing the inevitable stores in ‘other’ countries.

Countries we don’t live in, but visit.

You know the stores.

Starbucks, Costa, Chanel, D&G, Levi, Subway, Marks and Spencer, Zara, McDonald’s, KFC, and all the other usual suspects.

We’ve seen them in a dozen cities in Spain.

And France.

And Italy.

And everywhere.

Sadly, while on walkabout in downtown Shanghai today, I saw them.

Costa, McDonald’s, KFC, Starbucks.

And all the others.

The Nanjing Road West is Shanghai’s equivalent of London’s Oxford Street.

And that makes me feel sad.

As you can see.

Local businesses being swamped by the global economy.

Unexpected, in The People’s Republic of China.

And why not feel sad, at encountering this in the People’s Republic of China?