Chevy Chase area in DC is probably one of the most expensive and snoopy areas in DC. Well, truly, most of DC is very expensive, so saying that this area is most expensive is probably highly debatable, but nerveless based on my observation of the shops around there it is not one of the cheapest ones. In December I stayed for a few nights at hotel  near the Friendship Heights metro station. When you walk from hotel to the metro station you’d see all of these fancy designer brand name stores. Usually some type of security car would be idling on the corner. I never saw any people going in or out. I always wondered how these places stay in business. Is there really that many people going buying super expensive jewelry, leather bags, shoes and dresses to pay their salaries and I’m pretty sure not so cheap rental? I read somewhere about Chinese malls and all designer shops in those malls. They are empty. No one goes there because no one can afford to shop there. How do they stay in business? Supposedly they pay their rent on the amount of actual sales or something like that. So those stores don’t have to make any money to cover their rental, but they would have presence at the mall – advertisement for the designer brand and prestige for the mall. I kind of question the same business practice in US.

Any one knows how these places stay in business?