A city's prosperity can be easily gauged in part by the strength of its retail heart.
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For Albury and Wodonga, that has ebbed back and forth through the years for a range of reasons.
It's everything from changing tastes over the generations to the impact of new shopping habits, which as we know have gone through rapid change with the online revolution.
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There is also the considerable impact of the overall strength of the regional economy.
The Border has now had decades to enjoy the benefits of a diversity - from innovative, niche industries to the big employers of two universities, a large public and private health sector and defence - that is the envy of many regional centres.
But as in any town or city, there will be times when change will necessitate adjustments that on face value might indicate a lull in the business sector.
Go to any point in time in the past couple of decades, for example, and you would witness the spectre of empty shops.
Often this is part of that ever-evolving change in business, where some retailers move on to other opportunities or reach retirement age and other new types of business move in.
That shouldn't be a cause of concern as it is simply a natural phenomenon.
But in recent times, there has certainly be a change in the way we shop that tells a more pressing story of changing fortunes.
Firstly, there is the sharp contraction of the big retailers. Myer, for one, has had to tighten its belt though in a sign of faith in the Border has said it is here to stay, along with a major refurbishment.
There can be no denying the story told of 26 shop-front vacancies in Albury's Dean Street.
But for Albury's Barry Young, who owns Essential Ingredient, creating a strong business comes from combining expert advice you cannot get online with exclusive products customers can inspect for themselves.
As Australian Industry Group's Tim Farrah says, there is no denying the current shop-front decline but equally retail repeatedly displays an ability to bounce back.
It means better times seem certain to return.