Inflation in Hungary in 2022

The dominating inflation factor this winter will be energy costs and food pricing.

It's highly political and I expect considerable intervention to be ongoing in the energy market.

It's not going to be a very warm winter this year. 

We might get lucky, it might be very mild as it has been these past few years.

@Mickael

When Winter hits It will become more of a struggle especially for families. However I am a single person on a index linked income so I can adjust my spending easily. The last few years I have used electric blankets at home so I rarely use the gas convectors to heat any bedrooms.

During the lock down I got used to doing all my own cooking and unlike the students living in my block I have never got into that awful litter strewn food delivery habit. Otherwise extra fat would keep me warm.

I'm considered to be a low user of both gas and electricity so I can cope with a small price increase. My friend who runs a small factory in Zala nearly fainted when she saw the current huge increases in gas and electricity costs.

She will be laying off staff after the Christmas holidays and by Easter may have to close down completely.

Ive lived through two recessions as an adult so at least I'm well practiced in make do and mend.

My luxury items are chatting to friends, books, art materials, walking, dvds, the internet exercising at home and my little cottage in the forest. But Ive got enough to get me through the winter.

I'm also investing in more solar systems to use out of town next spring and summer.

However I recognise  younger people and families prefer more of a social life than I do. But this is a lesson to learn.

Lived in BP for 12 yrs,. High energy costs, Ukraine War and HUF depreciation are pushing the inflation and essential prices to record high like a deck of cards.  I felt all the prices much cheaper during covid compared to now, and economists say a big crash is coming.

I have noticed the folllowing

• Grocery prices jumped up 25%.
• A basic coffee increased from 450ft to 800ft in just about 5 years.
• Rents are up and property prices highly inflated never came down with endless construction and renovations being done.
• Diesel shortage and petrol prices record high

I use energy efficient appliances (LED bulbs, Heaters) and always used gas only in the main room (switched off other areas). I dont use metro for short distances, instead i love walking.

I see that electricity is being wasted by many shops, switching on the lights whole night. May be it is about time to save energy.

Lived in BP for 12 yrs,. High energy costs, Ukraine War and HUF depreciation are pushing the inflation and essential prices to record high like a deck of cards. I felt all the prices much cheaper during covid compared to now, and economists say a big crash is coming.

I see that electricity is being wasted by many shops, switching on the lights whole night. May be it is about time to save energy.
-@gosubmit

Yes, the crash is coming and will continue while Putin continues creating instability. Fighting will at least continue until the end of 2023, perhaps even as far as 2025.  The recession will force a readjustment politically and economically.  Recession will be at least 2 years long. Recessions I've been in have been like that.

It's tough call on lighting. Advertising lighting should be reduced. I notice some government buildings are becoming dark. In my street they have high power street lights and people race down the road as they use it as a shortcut - I want it to become restricted. The light pollution ruins our ability to observe the stars.  Switching those off would have to be carefully done what with the time change next week.  People in Hungary seem to dress in black and cross the roads anywhere and randomly so there will be an upswing in accidents. 

@fluffy2560 It is more a reply to the thread, saving energy, one could say maximum this or that during winter (I think 19C/20C), but difficult to check, also showering or taking a bath, in my view 1 per week is more than sufficient (as far as I am concerned even less).

This however is difficult to enforce.

I even sent e-mail to green parties in Netherlands and Germany in any case to promote lower temperatures or less showering (I think they are too scared too make bold statements).

Yes (I even I hope) there is a recession, at this stage there are labor shortages throughout in EU pushing up inflation even further, a bit of un employment is good (once for so many many years)

On the green parties, I really do not understand, personally I am in big favour of nuclear energy (since 40 years). I do understand (and one close of my friend and some acquintances still disagree, which is fine).

What do I not understand is green in France is very different from Germany (even if Germany greens still be very open to change (I am quite upset that change of principal mind is only driven by cash for a party has presented itself for principals (that aside))

France which has no gas itself exporting to Germany is a scandal. (indirect nuclear energy (as France is quite comfortable).

On showering once per week I argued 200 years ago, once a bath per 3 months was special, why should be a right once or even two times per day. Waste and not needed, but replies were very very neutral. Having said that I do appreciate that they replied, but no view.

I have to say the below from BBC is a bit extreme, but still

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-63389045

I took the liberty (in Dutch) to copy paste the answer from the Dutch green party (google translate should do the job)

Dank je wel voor de mail met aanvullende suggesties.

De thermostaat op 19 graden zetten in combinatie met een goede isolatie is naar onze mening al een belangrijke stap is richting een beter milieu. In een goed geïsoleerd huis verbruik je vanzelf minder energie.

Ook het verkorten van de douchetijd naar 2 tot 5 minuten per dag zeker in combinatie met zonnepanelen levert al een belangrijke bijdrage.

Natuurlijk kan het extremer maar een middenweg is belangrijk in de maatschappij van tegenwoordig. Wij leven wij in een modern tijdperk met de daarbij behorende oplossingen. In het verleden waren de mensen niet in het bezit van een douche of bad maar er bestonden ook geen zonnepanelen. Met andere woorden het is lastig om de tijd van vroeger met nu te vergelijken. Een combinatie van verduurzaming in huis en van de industrie lijkt voor nu de beste manier naar een beter klimaat.

​

Bij GroenLinks zijn wij dan ook van mening dat een eerlijke aanpak van de klimaatcrisis beter is voor iedereen. Denk aan goed geïsoleerde huizen met lager energieverbruik en zonnepanelen. Schone lucht en veel groen om je heen. Geen vervuilende bedrijven, maar innovatieve ondernemingen op groene stroom. Op vakantie met de internationale trein en nachtrust voor omwonenden van Schiphol en andere vliegvelden. Omscholing naar groene banen om de energietransitie in te zetten.

Wil je het hele artikel lezen hoe naar onze mening de klimaatcrisis kan worden aangepakt, klik dan hier.

One wash up every 3 months!!! Someone loves to fly solo!!

I never was one to take long hot baths with bubbles for hours but a daily washup is noraml these days.

With all the chemicals in our food, air etc. we all would stink to high heaven without keeping matters under control.

Might be a great move for the perfume industry though...

My ex SIL was a US Army PM.

When she was in boot camp she said everyone got 3 mins in the shower, that's all folks.

Smell, water, energy, admittedly during summer I sweat, but then again there is the sea (not needed in my view). If my wife complains a lot, I will take a shower or bath, but smelling is not the major concern I am afraid off, I am more concerned about decadent living (I have to say , I participate (smoking, drinking, eating, internet, TV, all of it, and almost all take energy). Still during night being at 24 or 19 makes a big big difference and so do showering every day, I do not say once per 3 months should be sufficient (even if I do in a way). But once per week or 2 x per day makes a big big difference I think.

On showering once per week I argued 200 years ago, once a bath per 3 months was special, why should be a right once or even two times per day. Waste and not needed, but replies were very very neutral. Having said that I do appreciate that they replied, but no view.
I have to say the below from BBC is a bit extreme, but still
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-63389045

I took the liberty (in Dutch) to copy paste the answer from the Dutch green party (google translate should do the job)

Dank je wel voor de mail met aanvullende suggesties.

De thermostaat op 19 graden zetten in combinatie met een goede isolatie is naar onze mening al een belangrijke stap is richting een beter milieu. In een goed geïsoleerd huis verbruik je vanzelf minder energie.
Ook het verkorten van de douchetijd naar 2 tot 5 minuten per dag zeker in combinatie met zonnepanelen levert al een belangrijke bijdrage.

...
-@cdw057

Isn't this just Nanny State interference? 

It's blindingly obvious to turn down the thermostat and use less shower time and employ energy devices, energy costs are going to be lowered.  People will lower their costs anyway if it's financially worthwhile to do it. Government needs to encourage energy saving behaviour.

BTW, that Iranian guy would not have any close friends.  They'd have to keep at least 5m away.

One wash up every 3 months!!! Someone loves to fly solo!!
I never was one to take long hot baths with bubbles for hours but a daily washup is noraml these days.
With all the chemicals in our food, air etc. we all would stink to high heaven without keeping matters under control.
Might be a great move for the perfume industry though...
My ex SIL was a US Army PM.
When she was in boot camp she said everyone got 3 mins in the shower, that's all folks.
-@Marilyn Tassy

Makes you wonder how the human race ever procreated with unwashed folks living in caves etc.   

Hardly attractive.

Not much magic in the moment there!

Smell, water, energy, admittedly during summer I sweat, but then again there is the sea (not needed in my view). If my wife complains a lot, I will take a shower or bath, but smelling is not the major concern I am afraid off, I am more concerned about decadent living (I have to say , I participate (smoking, drinking, eating, internet, TV, all of it, and almost all take energy). Still during night being at 24 or 19 makes a big big difference and so do showering every day, I do not say once per 3 months should be sufficient (even if I do in a way). But once per week or 2 x per day makes a big big difference I think.
-@cdw057

Wasting water possibly is worse than the energy usage.

You could take cold showers using rainwater collected from the roof.

Just collect it in a barrel and then tip it over yourself using a bucket.

Soap one can make from used cooking oil.

When I did heavy sweaty hours of working out I'd. shower right afterwards, not my shower for the day, as in hair washing and styling but anything to get the sweat off before swimming or just hanging at home.

I had to style up and do my makeup every day for work, hairdresser or games dealing.

Had to look my best for work, people really examined you in these jobs.

Nails, face, worst thing was having a slight cold and having to blow your nose infront of a table of players...

Then had to shower the second I got home. I either picked up smells in the air from smokey casinos or chemicals in a salon. Plus it's mentlaly nice to wash away all the outside world before unwinding at home.

These days I'm usually good with once a day, summer maybe 2 times.

I don't spend hours wasting water.

My little sister, God help her, she used to literally take 3 hour showers as a teenager.

Not sure what they heck was going on with that.

My mother had to pound the door down to get anyone else in there. After her father died she got very spoiled.

As a child my step-father had strict rules.

We had 5 mins of water , with 8 people in the house I can understand. Having 4 girls must of drove him nuts.

He would turn the hot water off if we took to long.

One learns fast to get down to business and not take a luxury bath in that situation.

We were always replacing water heaters in my mom's home, so much use.

Having ones 2 older sisters and mother banging on the door teaches you how to move fast.

When my son worked at KFC, he picked up such horrible bloddy smelling odors from the chicken. We had him strip in the garage and go directly into the shower after work.

It depends on ones lifestyle weather they need more water then other do.

@Marilyn Tassy My wife is extatic on my hairs, very long (pluses minuses(, I did not go for a cut for 8 years, even if 60+ no real problems in that area (I think it is 50cm length)

Washing once er 3 months (even if I think it is not needed)

I do (in summer) sweat a lot, and my wife insists on a shower now and then (even if in my view is not needed)

On appearances, I do not and I did not care, people have to accept me as  I am (and I have to say they did), I just got crazy with HR issues on my staff and decided to leave (this worked out fine)

I am sick on the importance of apearrances (good looking, good teeth etc,) Luckily I was not a victim of this (knowledge and input were important ( no teeth, ugly, etc, no problem)

@Marilyn Tassy My wife is ecstatic on my hairs, very long (pluses minuses(, I did not go for a cut for 8 years, even if 60+ no real problems in that area (I think it is 50cm length)
Washing once er 3 months (even if I think it is not needed)
I do (in summer) sweat a lot, and my wife insists on a shower now and then (even if in my view is not needed)

On appearances, I do not and I did not care, people have to accept me as I am (and I have to say they did), I just got crazy with HR issues on my staff and decided to leave (this worked out fine)
I am sick on the importance of appearances (good looking, good teeth etc,) Luckily I was not a victim of this (knowledge and input were important ( no teeth, ugly, etc, no problem)
-@cdw057

I think a lot of people didn't visit the hairdresser for a few years because of COVID. It's OK if you have short hair, you could get someone else to cut it or just shave it off. You don't need any expertise to cut hair military style. My Dad (ex-military) says the difference between a good haircut and a bad one is 3 weeks. But that's him.

You see that kind of idea in Hungary where boys are forced to get their heads shaved in the summer. I'm really against that idea - let the kids decide for themselves what they want to do.

Personally I think washing hair once a week is just about enough - who has time for more than that? But of course use a really good shampoo and some conditioner, not cheapy stuff. But I was at a salon and the guy told me to wash it every day. Like what? Surely that's bad for hair and not good for your skin either. And how much time to spend each on this each day when there are so many other things to do? And priority?

One of Mrs F's relatives gets tarted up with a full face to go to the supermarket. WTF? Chuck on a t-shirt, track suit and trainers! I'm with Homer Simpson on that one: makeup gun

There is a reason to keep up some appearances - being clean and tidy surely increases your self-esteem.  I don't really go to work any more except online but I still try and look reasonably OK on the video conferences.  I have to be careful with what's in the background - usually interrupted by cats and dogs!   

When I did heavy sweaty hours of working out I'd. shower right afterwards, not my shower for the day, as in hair washing and styling but anything to get the sweat off before swimming or just hanging at home.
I had to style up and do my makeup every day for work, hairdresser or games dealing.
Had to look my best for work, people really examined you in these jobs.
Nails, face, worst thing was having a slight cold and having to blow your nose infront of a table of players...
Then had to shower the second I got home. I either picked up smells in the air from smokey casinos or chemicals in a salon. Plus it's mentlaly nice to wash away all the outside world before unwinding at home.
These days I'm usually good with once a day, summer maybe 2 times.
I don't spend hours wasting water.
My little sister, God help her, she used to literally take 3 hour showers as a teenager.
Not sure what they heck was going on with that.
My mother had to pound the door down to get anyone else in there. After her father died she got very spoiled.
As a child my step-father had strict rules.
We had 5 mins of water , with 8 people in the house I can understand. Having 4 girls must of drove him nuts.
He would turn the hot water off if we took to long.
One learns fast to get down to business and not take a luxury bath in that situation.
We were always replacing water heaters in my mom's home, so much use.
Having ones 2 older sisters and mother banging on the door teaches you how to move fast.
When my son worked at KFC, he picked up such horrible bloddy smelling odors from the chicken. We had him strip in the garage and go directly into the shower after work.
It depends on ones lifestyle weather they need more water then other do.
-@Marilyn Tassy

I couldn't imagine a worse smell than old fast food.  Awful.  Only have to hang around in a McD's car park to know about that.

We have more than one bathroom at Fluffy Towers.   And still there's a queue when there's  four of us and it's worse when we have visitors.   

When we had the house built (rebuilt) we specified extra bathrooms and the builders were arguing about if this was something someone would want.  Case of STFU and do what I say. It's so common (now) in British houses and definitely in houses elsewhere.  It makes no sense to cut that out on grounds of economy.   

I even want to install a WC and water/sink with small water heater in the shed. That's when we get around to renovating it - maybe next century.   Then no tramping inside with muddy shoes to use the loo.  Perhaps by next century, we'll have hover shoes.

I never thought of cutting off the water to get the kids to shift themselves.  I shall have to think about that next time I'm stuck waiting.  The fastest person in the household is Mrs Fluffy.  She doesn't believe in hanging about.  5 mins maximum.

My son's house in Vegas had 2 full size bathrooms and one half size , just a toilet and sink. It was the only one downstairs, the other 2 were upstairs.

My Japanese DIL had some crazy personal seat cover on the one downstairs, I had to run up a flight of stairs when nature called. Didn't want to mess with her seat cover.

My boy used to take super long hot baths on his days off from work. He is in heaven now in Japan, they have those modern bathroms with bidet, heated water and differrent shower heads.

He says the western WC's are for animals...

He is a water sign so that must be it.

Our home in Ca. was built in 1956.

It had a 2 bathrooms one with just a shower and the master bath had a shower and a sepaerate tub.Double sink too.

The people we purchased it from were really cheap, he was a lawyer and she was his assistant. Had a baby grand piano in the living room but carpeting in both bathrooms, so gross.

We pulled that out and put in some nice new tiles.

Carpeting in a bathroom? Yuck!!

Speaking of inflation, those people saved and were building a custom house up where the Kardashians lived,just N. of L.A.

When I looked in the cupboards before buying the place, they were full , I mean like 30 or more boxes worth of Kraft Mac and Cheese.

Guess that's the way to save up for a custom home, eat junk and don't spend more then you have to on fixing up your home?

One could learn all sorts of useful money saving tips from my step-father but not sure it would fly very well.

He would even remove light bulbs if we forgot to shut the lights off behind us.

Had to get the OK before tossing out a bottle of anything or the dreaded thoothpaste tube. He could get a good weeks worth out when other's would of tossed it in the bin.

That's the difference of his generation, he was a boy during the depression.

...Speaking of inflation, those people saved and were building a custom house up where the Kardashians lived,just N. of L.A.
When I looked in the cupboards before buying the place, they were full , I mean like 30 or more boxes worth of Kraft Mac and Cheese.
Guess that's the way to save up for a custom home, eat junk and don't spend more then you have to on fixing up your home?
One could learn all sorts of useful money saving tips from my step-father but not sure it would fly very well.
He would even remove light bulbs if we forgot to shut the lights off behind us.
Had to get the OK before tossing out a bottle of anything or the dreaded toothpaste tube. He could get a good weeks worth out when other's would of tossed it in the bin.
That's the difference of his generation, he was a boy during the depression.
-@Marilyn Tassy

I just heard the Royal Family referred to as the British Kardashians.   Who the hell are the Kardashians anyway?  Famous for being famous.   I suppose the Kardashians live close to Prince Harry nowadays. Hobnobbing with aristocracy.

Kraft Mac and Cheese.  That's not cheese!  That's some kind of extruded substitute.  I bought some Brie the other day. It's a wonderful cheese.  My mother told me Camembert  cheese was horrible when I was a kid.  For years I avoided it because I thought it was horrible. Eventually I tried it and it's fantastic. That's real cheese.

I also come from an age and environment where things should not be wasted.  I couldn't say I would take out the light bulbs but we might have words if this lack of attention to leaving the lights on continues at Fluffy Towers.   For sure, where you come from affects what you do in later life.

It's funny how ones tastes change.

In my youth yung men were only,"cool" if their hair was long.

Nowdays it has to be clean and neat and not too long.

I worked behind the chair for decades off and on as a cosmetologist/ to the lay person a hairdresser...

It doesn't hurt your hair if your careful wash it often and use a quailty product on it.

Some cheapo shampos just strip the hair shaft. It's the tugging and overdrying that wrecks the hair.

In the 90's in New Mexico I cut hair mostly in a shop, some perms and coloring but 90% was just straight cutting. Near 4th st. in a Mexican/American area for the most part. We got those '"gangbanggers" young guys. I must say they were very nice but very fussy as well about their haircuts with a razor. fades and really close cuts.

I must say in my opinion the young banggers in the US are very polite young people if you treat them like people. Here in Hungary I notice so called banggers being really jerks.

That's anothet topic. Maybe in the UK they are called,something else? Hodies or something?

My husband is lucky, he hasn't had to pay for a haircut in decades.

Once however he came to HU with a freind back around 1989.

One friend's wife opened up a beauty salon in Budapest and they went in for cuts to support her new business.

He got more then a cut however... a perm too! Not a good look on him with curls in his hair.

I picked him up at LAX airport and walked past my own husband, never really looked twice at a curly haired man even if he was mine! That's sort of funny to think back on now.

How could I forget how he looked in one month?

Just shows how appearance is important.

I'm sorry I think maybe I skipped a shower-bath less then 6 times in all my years. That's when I was so ill I didn't know day from night.

I was in isolation last year in the hospital for 5 days and showered all 5 days even though it was just the nurse and I who saw me.

I used to model in some large international hairshows in my 20's. in Ca.

Hair matters, it really does. A bad cut can ruin one month. I know it's all vanity but it is what it is.

My hiar got very thin from my illness, coming back in but still not like my post illness hair. I notice because of my professional experience with hair.

I am not sure how much a decent haircut is now in Hungary actually. For the past year I've had my husband trim it up.As an ex-machinist he know how to cut, metal that is. No, it's not that hard to cut at home if yu section carefully, dn't go crazy chopping large sections at once and leave room for mistakes.

My mother used to always cut our hair at home as children. I once had such nice long hair that I'd sit on it. Mom just decided to give me a short Bob. We were traveling by car from Conn. to Ca. and she couldn't deal with my hair and a new baby at the same time.

I learned to cut hair young around age 11. After mom trimmed my fringe the day before picture day at school. Seeing those super short crooked bangs was too much.It's funny looking at old school photos, all the girls have short crooked fringe, guess my mother wasn't the only insane one running with sissors!

Forgot to mention, most of those very sleeked back hairstyles required a special pomade to keep the hairs in place.

In the Mexican/American community the product of choice was called,"Tres  Flores".

It was so damaging and made the hair so greasy.

The only way we could remove th product from the hair before cutting was to use our,"special shampoo". We mixed it up and put it in a nice bottle. Little did the public know our recipe.

The ONLY thing that could remove that pomade was Dawn Dish Washing Soap!

We couldn't very well have a plastic bottle of dish  soap at the shampoo bar so we put it in a nice bottle like it was smething extra special.

Now that does dry your hair out and also clean up the old frying pan.

I don't recommend using that even with high inflation. Within a few months of daily shampooing you probably will go bald or get a rash on your scalp.

I don't think they best way to fight infaltion is to not wash up.

I used to wash my hiar everyday when I would go to the gym. A room full of 50 r 60 people jumping abut, sweating and excersising to the likes of Donna Summer didn't exactly keep ones hair fresh and tidy. The windows of the room would gloss over with sweat and steam, wasn't a good look for the hair either.

@Mickael like everywhere the food prices increased, although it is a cap on the basic food items. I think until December 31?

Also, it is a cap on petrol 480 a liter if your car is registered in Hungary. That is lower than anywhere in the EU. How long can they will keep it at this price, we will see.

Save your money for rainy days.

I didn't see increase in insurance. Rent increased, if you are renting. Energy prices, heating and electricity, if you have a small apartment, it will not effect you. If you have a big house it will.

If the war continues the inflation is going to be worst. Let's hope that it will be over.

IDK but last week we drove over to a large Tesco supermart store.

They all but removed selling many housewares inside our regular Tesco store.

They made our Tesco smaller and now are sharing space with Media Mart.

One way to save costs I suppose.

Well we noticed the neighborhood isn't really as nice as where we usually shop.

In fact on the way out a security guard asks to see your reciept.

Anyways, we noticed the prices were actually a tiny bit higher overall then our regualr Tesco is.

I about jumped for joy when I checked their avacados, they were on sale. Well they were really fit for the trash not to eat.

Doubt i'd even use them for a facial mask.

Looks like in the neighborhood they aren't hot items and are left to rot.

Sad, what a waste of avacados.

People seem to just be buying what they need to get by and not trying out exotic fruits, or are they veggies?

In the end we just picked up the one household item and drove to another Tesco to do real shopping. I didn't enjoy the large crowd, higher prices and confusion, didn't even have ready shopping carts to use.

When in Hungary I have to say I hated Tesco, normal Aldi, Lidl, .. were fine. Having said that over Covid period we got used for home deliveries (we had a big fridge).

So my wife went over the website and chose meat (OK meat from a fridge is not as tasty, but can be more than OK), I went over the wine of our wine merchant and ordered 120 bottles of wine we like (good discount and wine does not spoil easily), for whisky (Jameson) same story, if you ask many, big discount. For water (bubbles) we went extreme (a few 100 of bottles of 1.5 liters (I forgot the name, but cheap).

Admittedly the times were different, but if to live in Hungary I would do the same. So convenient to have home deliveries (and discount), drawback you would need space.

For the last year (no Covid restrictions) we indeed went for bread/fruits/vegs (even for the last two largely out of our garden), cigarettes (not very heavy and ordering 200 packages people were happy).

What can I say, if you have space take a stock, in Turkey more difficult, just an apartment, even if we contacted a restaurant owner to make a good price on wine and whisky (lets see where I will put them).

I do miss a huge fridge though,

IDK but last week we drove over to a large Tesco supermart store.
They all but removed selling many housewares inside our regular Tesco store.
They made our Tesco smaller and now are sharing space with Media Mart.
One way to save costs I suppose.
Well we noticed the neighborhood isn't really as nice as where we usually shop.
In fact on the way out a security guard asks to see your reciept.
Anyways, we noticed the prices were actually a tiny bit higher overall then our regualr Tesco is.
I about jumped for joy when I checked their avacados, they were on sale. Well they were really fit for the trash not to eat.
Doubt i'd even use them for a facial mask.
Looks like in the neighborhood they aren't hot items and are left to rot.
Sad, what a waste of avacados.
People seem to just be buying what they need to get by and not trying out exotic fruits, or are they veggies?
In the end we just picked up the one household item and drove to another Tesco to do real shopping. I didn't enjoy the large crowd, higher prices and confusion, didn't even have ready shopping carts to use.
-@Marilyn Tassy

I've noticed a high turnover of shops in Tesco and Auchan malls. It's high rents that probably cause it. I suppose Tesco own the freeholds and the buildings.

Some of them are like ghost towns. I noticed at the Tesco HQ store (Budaors), it's been cut back to around 2/3 of the original size.

Some places really complain if you phone up to check stock, then go and look a something in a store, then walk away and look online for the cheapest price and have it delivered. We do that all the time.

It makes me wonder if stores that remain in those malls are fronts for money laundering. I've seen that kind of thing in Belgrade which means something must be up with it. The main street there is full of designer handbag shops. Who has the money for that kind of thing?!