I’m not following your logic. If demand is not high enough to support the store location, are you suggesting that these stores are being run unprofitably, and if so, where’s the money coming from to make up the shortfall to continue operations on a monthly basis?
That space could be used for more local and more useful businesses.
Or is it possible that landlords are taking a loss on rent because some rent is better than no rent because there aren’t more local/useful businesses willing to open in those spaces?