During my weekly visits to Old Home, one of the standard practices I have is to meet a high school friend (as she is of Italian descent, hereby La Contessa) for dinner. We try to meet halfway between her home and The Ranch, which usually puts us in the same geographical location every month for dinner. As one might imagine, after X amount of times at the same place, one starts looking to branch out.
Her most recent suggestion was near to Local Big Mall Of Things (LBMOT). After looking at the location and the likely traffic patterns and the fact that I had not yet exercised for the day, I decided to beat the traffic and take my daily jaunt around LBMOT.
In my limited experience (by limited, not having stepped into a mall in a least 3 and possibly 4 years), there are only two sorts of malls currently: malls that are doing well (which from what I know, typically cater to a typical income level, which is above mine) and malls that are not and are slowly dying (which probably do cater to my income level). The LBMOT is the former a larger mall in an affluent community and one that, if I recall correctly, I had not been to in at least 8 years.
The mall itself is a gleaming white edifice both inside and out laid out in classic "mall fashion": four anchor stores with two long corridors of two levels with occasional bridges crossing (this one had stores on the crossings; not all do) and the expected food court, movie theater, and arcade. The white tile floors made to resemble marble clumped under my boots which, wearing one of the father's hats that says "TB Farms" with jeans and a plain blue T-shirt, completed my look of "Local Hick Escapes Back Country For A Ramble And Just Looks Awkward Trying".
I wended my way through the bottom floor and up one side and down the other, then took the elevator to top floor and did the same. The mall was lightly attended - not surprising for a weekday afternoon - filled mostly with singles and small groups and some families either pushing carriages or shepherding small herds of children. No annoying background music blared and (thankfully) no holiday decorations were up yet.
The mix of malls always has always fascinated me. I remember the early malls of my youth being a real mix of different kinds of diverse retail outlets. From what I know of the ones in New Home this is no longer the case, which was matched at the LBMOT:
- The bulk of the stores (60%? I did not count - but the majority) were either clothing or shoe stores, high end brands or smaller "indie" brands that make people feel like they are both exclusive and rebelling against the system - for a price (Rest easy there, rebel. I am sufficiently intimidated by your slightly acerbic attitude and generationally appropriate saying/picture on your shirt.).
- The standard 4 to 6 jewelry stores/accessory stores, which, while tempting to sink my life's savings into a single item or more cheaply, to get my nose pierced with an accompanying nose ring to tie the ends of my moustache to (Take that, rebel).
- 3 to 4 home goods stores of the higher end variety, which typically means "I should not touch anything lest I break it".
- The ubiquitous Sportsball store where you, too, can spend hundreds of dollars supporting those making millions.
- The odd unique or outlier - a build your own slime shop (no, really), a stuffed animal construction shop, an alterations store (this was a real surprise - I have never seen one before), and an actual Hallmark Gold Crown shop (when was the last time I was in one of those?).
- A smattering of snack stores - gelato, pretzels, the every present coffee store with the mermaid, the center aisle stand alone kiosks selling calendars/phones/jewelry/exotic scrub from far off lands whom I try to avoid making eye contact with lest I become engaged in a conversation about the importance of exfoliation.
- The small kid friendly zones that always make me smile if for no other reason than I remember bringing Na Clann here for the same thing (watching a little tyke stand as much as he could on a car ride that just went up and down made my day).
In other words, American commercial culture at its finest.
Me being me of course, I cannot just "walk around" the mall without thinking and pondering. In this case, thinking and pondering about what I saw and what it portended economically.
I can safely say that everything in that mall - every thing with perhaps the exception of generating my own personal colored slime - can be procured somewhere else. Maybe not the precise item, but the type of item represented. Clothes can be bought at stores of lesser heritage (and expense), online (which is where The Ravishing Mrs. TB gets most of hers) at one's local charity store, or even hand sewn. And while I have to confess to a secret love of strolling through kitchen goods and home goods stores like Bob's Of Wine-land or Box and Cylinder (I love looking at kitchen gadgets and fancy foods and fancy coffee machines), I usually need none of those things or can purchase them far more cheaply somewhere else. (official shout-out for Lehman's, the home goods store for the rest of us).
In other words, there is precisely nothing I actually need there.
But in large part this is our economy and at least in the West, our world.
We construct edifices that we fill with things that we then mark up said goods to sell and hire people to sell them so that we can generate "economic growth". We work to acquire the funds to to acquire said things, then motor our way to and from said edifice to purchase the thing, to use it and then (often) to get rid of it so we can acquire other things.
We have built an economy that requires us to buy things to remain economically viable.
Imagine - if you will - a world where spending was drastically curtailed. Let us assume for the moment that it is not for any bad reason (highly unlikely, but go with it), but people came to some grand awakening. The edifices close. The people working in the edifice lose their jobs. The people delivering things to the edifices lose their jobs. The people make things for the edifices to sell - maybe they keep their jobs making things, but less than they used to (Who knows - do the personalized slime people make it? I hope so.). In our imaginary world, we have just created massive unemployment and a possible recession.
Simply because everyone decided to no longer "consume" things.
To be clear, I am not against the concept of malls or high end stores or people enjoying themselves at them - for some, this is their form of leisure and if leisure prevents a mental breakdown without illegal practices, I am all for it. Even I keep going back to Bob's of Wine-land to look at the gadgets and admire the fancy coffee machine I would never buy. But what is foolish is the concept that somehow we have built an solid and stable economy on this, an economy that requires us to continue to spend - and spend big - to sustain it. Much like riding the tiger, we may suddenly find out we have no option for escape except to let the tiger run itself to exhaustion, lest we be devoured.
On the bright side, if everyone is devoured, my fancy coffee machine may finally drop in price.
Interestingly enough, myself and a friend were talking about malls recently and came to a different conclusion, that malls had given up their panache and were instead catering to the masses these days. There used to be lots of high end sit down restaurants at the malls we went to that have all disappeared in favor of food courts full of fast food. All the major anchor chains have gone out to the suburbs to build stand along buildings the ones that replace them sell cheaper stuff, quality and price. We concluded that those with wealth, wanted to drive right up to the door to do their shopping than mull around with the masses, entertaining their children on the quarter rides and indoor play areas.
ReplyDeleteThe whole consumer model however is something I dislike. It has always felt like a house build of cards ready to collapse at any moment. On one hand, I know people with houses crammed so full of "stuff" that you can barely move around inside them AND, they have to rent other buildings to store it all in. On the other hand, I know others with barely anything and seemingly wanting of nothing else. However, I am under no illusions that given the money, they too would eventually fill up their houses with stuff.
Mall walking used to be a thing. The older set would meet in the morning and get their exercise indoors. My last major live truck setup was for one of those gone wrong. https://youtu.be/Qc_8cYQiV6o
ReplyDeleteYou have really hit the nail on the head. There was a Veggie Tales episode about Stuff Mart, and it hit me square between the eyes.
My old geometry teacher in high scruel was a sage: "If you like stuff you'll have stuff, if you like money, you'll have money." I like stuff. I've always been a bit of a spendthrift. I like the neatness of store shelves. I like the hide and seek aspect of old pawn and junk shops. I love old tools and mechanisms. I have eleventy hobbies. Bad mix. However, I have had to set hard rules on buying. And my 20% rule has worked the best. If I can get the widget for 20% of it's current value, I'll consider it. Until the change in status last year.
Now, I get paid a small percentage of what I used to make, once a month. I buy my needs list after payday, and scrimp like a Scrooge the rest of the month.
Our economy is a service economy now. "May I help you sir?" Our heavy machinery and industry was sold off as scrap. What remains of those heavy lathes and mills are in India and Pakistan now, turning out parts made from broken ships. The rest was melted down. We don't have the facilities, knowledge base, or will to take that back on. We are heading back to the days of the local machine shop / welder / blacksmith. And that only in smaller towns I reckon.
I may be biased or ill informed, but the "mall" seems to be drying up, and the locally produced widget is what will be available going forward. I fear the pendulum swings of policy and fad will shorten in period and lengthen in distance. Until it destroys the mechanism. So, I'm doing what I can to pass that on for the next generation...
STxAR, one of the remaining benefit of the the mall is/was the ability to do laps inside, especially for older folk.
DeleteI like your 20% rule, I will have to see how that plays out in my life (sadly, lots of my interests are not in the 80% off category).
We are a service economy. Consciously so. And it all presumes a just in time system and easily accessible goods, both of which are already faltering. The only "going back" is, as you say, at the local level.
There will always be some aspect of malls, but they will be high end for higher end clientele than you or I as it is not only a shopping expedition, it is a place to see and to be seen. For those of us that do not want to be seen (and do not fit the social group), we will quietly continue on out in the fringes.
I don't miss malls. At all. Been more than a decade, and last time was to shop for clothes.
ReplyDeleteJohn, after having not been for four years, not much to miss. Pretty much a physical internet of shopping that can be done instantly, nothing more.
DeleteNo bookstore? It's been eons since I visited a mall, but the one store I always visited (and perhaps actually spent money at) was the bookstore.
ReplyDeleteI remember the first mall of my childhood. When it was built, my grandparents said it would be the death of local shops. Now, anything one actually needs can be sourced at walmart or amazon.
I suppose the cultural value of malls is for the young (to hang out in a comfortably controlled environment, i.e. to see and be seen), exercise (walking without the natural elements), and for people who love the thrill of live shopping (possibly a holiday tradition?) Other than that, I think malls will forever be an icon of American consumerism.
Leigh, no bookstores anymore. The only bookstores one finds anymore in such places is the stand alone Barnes And Noble, they have absorbed or outlasted everything else. Walden Books was a staple of my childhood mall visits.
DeleteIn a way your grandparents were right - it was the death of a lot of local shops, the mall in turn being devoured by on-line shopping. In a turn of events, I think in some cases many are turning back to smaller shops instead of the faceless corporation.
I suspect you are right about the cultural aspects of malls and especially the holiday tradition of shopping (thinking especially of Christmas here). That said, I suspect that the new "trend" will be the live/shop combination such as has showed up in my neck of the woods. But I do suspect the mall as we know them will become more of a unique item than a multi-ubiquitous appearance in all urban areas.
Leigh - I mentioned to my teen that malls you to be the hangout spot when I was a teen. She laughed at me and thought it absurd. Her friends actively avoid the mall because there is "nothing" there for them. Instead they prefer to hang out at coffee/sandwich shops.
DeleteI will say for our teens and early twenties inhabitants here, the coffee shop is now much more trendy.
DeleteI haven't been to the mall in ages, maybe 10 years. As a kid / teenager, we went there a lot (JCPenny was often the main reason) but the record store Music Land was my personal main reason. Waldenbooks too was a reason to stop by and Dad being an avid reader hardly ever objected to going there too.
ReplyDeleteMusic Land and Walden books - man, those are names from the past that I have not thought of in forever!
DeleteOnce upon a time in my childhood, we would pack up on Friday nights and head down to the mall. It was a big doing at the time. It was quite an event for small town me.