You seem really stuck on 7-11. The article is not about 7-11. That’s just the example the author used, and honestly the author could have picked a better one. Just imagine that they picked vape shops or something instead.

I have lived in places where you can’t walk anywhere useful because the absentee owners didn’t want to invest in finding good tenants. The buildings were fine, but partially empty, and there was even a shortage of local office space, so they could have rented at a premium with just a little bit of investment.

They are stores. You go to them and buy stuff you need, and then leave. If you don't have good stores near you, you move to another place that does.

Is life really that complicated?

I feel like you didn’t read the article at all, or couldn’t understand it, or you’re being deliberately obtuse and avoiding real discussion.

The point is that much of America is like this, and the problem is only getting worse. We’re not yet at the level of blight that we saw in some areas after the post-1970s industrial collapse, but concentration of ownership is gradually leading us there again. Poor maintenance, poor tenant selection, and underinvestment eventually hollows out neighborhoods when businesses move away or close.

Where are you going to move when most places have the same problem? The few areas not like this are getting swarmed, which creates its own problems (like traffic, parking, overcrowding, and absurd property values).

Just take a drive through random cities, neighborhoods, and towns if you don’t see it where you live.