Monochrome Madness: Buying and Selling

Almost every town and village in rural France has at least one shop that has been permanently closed for just about as long as anyone can remember. Our own nearest village has at least nine empty commercial premises, the majority of which were shut , and had been for a while, before we first came to the area over twenty years ago.

There’s no secret as to why, of course. The spread of shopping malls, retail parks and grocery supermarkets fatally undermined the fragile economics of family-run businesses.. I have photographed many of these derelict and decaying premises, including this old butchery in the town of Chabanais.

Monochrome Madness: Buying and selling