Hordes of Chinese are said to be swarming across the Amur river, with maps showing the Russian far east as Chinese territory, to fill empty spaces.

ECONOMIST: Russia and its regions

He adds that he intended to license the old retail brands to mall owners, which, in turn, could use the brands to build new stores that would fill empty spaces, or perhaps launch small retail kiosks under the old names.

WSJ: Basing a Business on an Old Brand? Check the Trademarks

And landlords, once responsibility for the store returns to them, often prefer to fill the spaces with price-point retailers rather than leave them empty and pay the tax.

WSJ: U.K. Retail Rents Drop as Stores Close