Meal Assembly Watch

Normally saving money is a good thing, but right now, it could be the death of the economy. A troubling paradox. It can certainly be said that many people hit the retail stores for Christmas, the reality of a long year ahead may be put on the brakes for leisure spending in the months to come…

Personally, I’m trying to pay down as much debt as possible. My interest rates are so high right now that I can’t afford to put any more on them. With the holidays out of the way, and more less than comforting news of layoffs and slow business growth, it would seem we are in a Catch-22. We need to save money in case work decides we just aren’t needed anymore, but saving money is just going to cause more financial issues for business which will cause more job loss. Can’t really seem to win this one.

Personally, I’m saving the cash…

BOISE, Idaho — Rick and Noreen Capp recently reduced their credit-card debt, opened a savings account and stopped taking their two children to restaurants. Jessica and Alan Muir have started buying children’s clothes at steep markdowns, splitting bulk-food purchases with other families and gathering their firewood instead of buying it for $200 a cord.

As layoffs and store closures grip Boise, these two local families hope their newfound frugality will see them through the economic downturn. But this same thriftiness, embraced by families across the U.S., is also a major reason the downturn may not soon end. Americans, fresh off a decadeslong buying spree, are finally saving more and spending less — just as the economy needs their dollars the most.

Hard-Hit Families Finally Start Saving, Aggravating Nation’s Economic Woes

There is some harsh reality rolled up in this one and the numbers are starting to show there are closer to 900 stores left standing across the country. It didn’t take long to slip below the 1,000 mark that was quoted just a short time ago.

A couple of years ago, meal-preparation businesses were sprouting across the country. Trend spotters were commenting on the growth, and franchisers were talking big.

But what seemed like promising prospects turn out to have been not so robust, and the once-surging sector now is shrinking.

The widely embraced idea was that time-strapped folks would flock to commercial kitchens where they could buy ingredients, follow recipes and in a couple of hours "assemble" several nutritious meals to place on the family table.

Not exactly.

Kitchen feast turns to famine

It’s been a turbulent year full of ups and downs. It was easy to see some of the problems coming, while others seemed to come sideswiping in. Lawsuits, business closings, sky rocketing gas prices and outrageous food prices were somewhat expected, but this economy and the full depth of the slowdown have been more than anticipated.

But today we can put some of that behind us and look ahead to what the New Year brings. Hopefully it will bring new accomplishments or swift resolutions to your issues. Hopefully it will bring financial gains or at least minimal loses. If nothing else, I hope it puts you another step closer to your goal.

For me it’s been a positive year. I’ve had a great holiday, enjoyed the company of my family, accomplished a great deal at work, and focused on a lot of personal projects. I have a lot of things planned for 2009. There are new projects at work that will keep me busy and needed for the foreseeable future. There are lots of tasks to accomplish around the house, especially cleaning out that basement! And there are lots of places I want to visit over the summer.

Now whether I get to any of these or not is a different story, but at least I have a few things in mind. And let’s not forget a few changes I plan on making around here.

But for now, let the festivities begin! Its dinner and drinks for me tonight. Time to reflect on what was good over the past year and pause for a moment or two to learn from the mistakes.

I wish you all a wonderful and safe New Year and hope that even if things aren’t quite going the way you plan or expected, you can at least set that aside for the short term and look to the new opportunities ahead. It’s a day to wipe the slate clean, to forge ahead with all new expectations and opportunities. It’s a time to start over and give yourself a second chance. Seize the moment at what starting anew has to offer.

Wherever you are I wish you best and here’s to a wonderful New Year!!

Even with troubling sales and economic issues Subway is still ahead of the curve, carving out several thousand new stores to open in the upcoming year. Not just a national outfit but also a global enterprise. Crazy talk or just good business sense?

Subway ranks as the #1 franchise for the 16th time. Pretty impressive.

Strangely, or perhaps not surprisingly, outfits like Super Suppers and Dream Dinners did not make the list. They may have hot the mark in 2006, but for this year, it wasn’t meant to be.

When Fred DeLuca and Peter Buck opened their first eateries in Bridgeport, Connecticut, 44 years ago, they debated whether to call their offering an Italian sandwich or simply a sub. They opted for the latter, and the rest, as they say, is history. Across the globe, the Subway sandwich, modeled after the classic Italian offering shaped like a submarine, is as ubiquitous as the hamburger. Subway even has seven outlets in Italy, the land of pizza and pasta. The privately held company has a total of 2,500 locations throughout Europe, and Asia. Latin America and the Middle East are also growth zones.

What about recession woes? In late 2008, the company surpassed the 30,000-restaurant mark. It has 1,600 stores scheduled to open this year. Another 2,400 franchisees have bought in and are waiting in line to open. And it’s on pace to overtake the king of fast food, McDonald’s, in outlet numbers within five years. CEO DeLuca, speaking on the phone from Amsterdam, says 2008–a time of stock market plunges, real estate busts and bank failures–was Subway’s “best year ever.”

Subway Hits the Spot - Entrepreneur.com

Looks like a whole slew of retailers are going to face some uncertain times in the first part of 2009. Tens of thousands of stores are expected to close and several large retails are filing for bankruptcy protection.

Dec. 29 (Bloomberg) — U.S. retailers face a wave of store closings, bankruptcies and takeovers starting next month as holiday sales are shaping up to be the worst in 40 years.

Retailers may close 73,000 stores in the first half of 2009, according to the International Council of Shopping Centers. Talbots Inc. and Sears Holdings Corp. are among chains shuttering underperforming locations.

More than a dozen retailers, including Circuit City Stores Inc., Linens ‘n Things Inc., Sharper Image Corp. and Steve & Barry’s LLC, have sought bankruptcy protection this year as the credit squeeze and recession drained sales. Investors will start seeing a wide variety of chains seeking bankruptcy protection in February when they file financial reports, said Burt Flickinger.

Bloomberg.com: Worldwide

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