It’s a tough job these days holding up a mall.
Wayback in time to last century, when main street was killed by the way of shopping, with floors shiny and new and fountains rolling fresh water for background news. Yes, indeed, those were the days. Food courts… stores as far as the eye could see.. Even small kiosks selling things you’ve never buy but sure were happy to laugh at as you walked by..
The great American mall. The shopping experience of your lifetime, whenever you wanted it.
Fast forward to the new age… Walmart has everything you need.. No matter where it was made and how good or bad the quality may be.. And what’s not there can be found online. No need for bookstores when you have Amazon, or even your Kindle. No need for food courts when you have McDonalds and drive throughs.. These days, though, the great American mall is struggling to stick around.. Some think they have overstayed their welcome.. others feel they’ll be missed.
My local mall is no different.. Three stores there have closed within the last month alone. Walking the halls of the immense Schuylkill Mall has turned into a pretty lonely venture.
But it’s not just the abandoned coal mines of Pennsylvania facing the prospect of a future without a central shopping location.. it’s nationwide: A simply Google news search will bring back results from all over the nation of malls and stores closing in rapid style.. Even more: Go for a Google image search of mall closings from all over.
All of that, along with continuing weak numbers in the retail salescategory, is spelling out trouble for the near future. Specifically speaking: Do you know WHY retail sales are up? … and if you look deep into the numbers, PURCHASES ARE DOWN. The disconnection is easy to understand: Inflation has caused a surge in prices. So while there are more dollars coming in there aren’t really more products going out..
The nation’s economy is crumbling.. Infrastructure is at its most horrendous in many areas of the United States.. Inflation is rearing its ugly head. Gas prices are dangerously high. Food prices are extremely dangerous too.. And all the way, people are deciding: No shopping, no books, no jewelry.
Hence the death of the mall.
.I remember a time, early in my life last century, when a family visit to the mall was exciting. I’d be allowed to buy a He-Man action figure.. my sister would shop in those hip stores where most clothing looked like Madonna wore it.. And after all was over, we’d eat at one of the many choices for food. Now.. the mall is a quick experience. People do go, but only for what they really need. And when they get there, sometimes they are surprised to see the store they were going to closed down with a sign on not to trespass..
We seemingly have chosen less quality simply because with it comes convenience.
