In a way, I think you're right OP.
Every time there's a recession, things fall down. Shops close, the economy contracts, people tighten their belts and the world gets a little smaller.
But things haven't fully recovered before the next blow.
Shops that still haven't opened, fall into dereliction, the quality of the the remaining shops falls, the quality in the shops goes down and more people try to find a way of cutting down - second jobs, third jobs, jobs in supermarkets for the discounts, wholesale clubs, car boots, a spot of tax dodging or insurance wangling.
Things start to fall apart as councils can't cover everything - potholes, care of the elderly, care of children, refuse collection and litter picking.
Everything shrinks back.
Big names on the high street, that used to be 'dependables' are no longer there - Littlewoods, Debenhams, House of Fraser, Top Shop, Top Man, Burtons, Evans, Mothercare - not only as places to shop, but places of employment.
The odd treat from M&S became the 'odd treat' from Sainsbury's.
Shopping for food at Marks or Waitrose, became shopping for food at Sainsbury's/Tesco. Shopping for food at Sainsbury's or Tesco became shopping from Aldi, Lidl, B&M, Home Bargains, Poundland or some weird discount goods place that has Arabic writing on the Palmolive shower gel.
Then the next recession/calamity hits and the cycle starts again.
We shrink and tighten again - this time to supermarket clothing, discount stores, charity shops and internet shopping to get items that can be no longer found on the high street.
The poorest neighbourhoods haven't seen anything like the recovery that many affluent areas have seen and some places no longer have a Tesco, an M&S or much by way of a variety of decent clothing stores.
Shops that were derelict are being demolished, more shops are closing, the only jobs are care work, driving or cleaning (must have own vehicle) and the streets become quieter, dirtier and tattier.
Even Oxford Street is a mess with fly by night tax dodgers setting up here today - gone tomorrow stores.
The housing market is an unholy mess, there are few good quality homes for rent at reasonable rates, social housing is sorely needed and what few jobs there are will be low paid or out of the reach of the unqualifieds like me.
We will carry on, but it's going to be an untidy, debt riddled mess. People who fund their lives with credit are going to have a huge shock.