But even the nice malls are moving more toward an open "village" feel like "Firewheel Town Center"
Posted on 02/29/2012 6:46:51 PM PST by MinorityRepublican
DENVER—When Pat Wooster-Jackson needed an outfit for her daughter's wedding, she drove 25 miles to this city's high-end Cherry Creek mall, bypassing dozens of clothing stores at three other shopping centers.
The trek by the 62-year-old retired nurse shows why the carnage in retailing—caused by finicky consumers, store closings and the growth of online shopping—has hurt some of the nation's malls less than others.
Most U.S. cities are dominated by a few malls. The winners—like the Cherry Creek Shopping Center—enjoy full parking lots, strong sales and high rents. It helps to be a luxury mall, because affluent shoppers were quicker than most consumers to bounce back from the recession.
The rest—average and subpar malls with lackluster stores—are getting slammed especially hard by online shopping, the spread of discount retailers and store closures by such mall stalwarts as Sears Holdings Corp., Abercrombie & Fitch Co. and Gap Inc. These malls are suffering from high vacancy rates, declining numbers of shoppers or have had to shut down completely.
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
One thing I have learned in this world is that there is constant change. Nothing stays the same.
I would love to believe that this is the result of the American myth of getting ahead by working hard, but given the present prevelance of kleptomania grifting, I have to wonder if these are not bankers, recovery act funded contractors, and public "servants" all first in line to receive the benefits of Bernanke's largesse at taxpayer expense.
I can't afford anything but Walmart anyway, though, so it's not a major concern of mine. I do wish the Malls weren't all shot in this area though. When my kids were younger we could have a good time shopping around the mall and seeing a lot of stuff without buying much and it was an awful lot nicer than getting run over by fat folks in Wally World. We usually shopped one week night and then would actually buy something on Saturday in the afternoon when we did a followup trip and they thought it was a real treat to hang around and see the other kids their age, etc. It was a lot more social I guess. Now, though, everyone is typing with their thumbs and walking into one another anyway so the Mall probably wouldn't be the same either.
Another problem is that Malls have become gang hang outs.
But we are told, the economy is rebounding.
So I am finicky because 99.9% of the clothes on offer to “mature” women SUCK!!! The fabrics are horrible. The shaping, styles, colors and patterns are not flattering to most American women in the 50+ age group. So, I am pushed to online shopping where I can find something appropriate for work. I haven’t bought a dress in 15 years because I refuse to look like a parody off of Monty Python.
Bring this industry back to America.
I remember when there was opposition to malls because they would hurt traditional main street businesses.
YEs, they have become gang hangouts with new rail lines contributing to their transportation to get to the malls. Also, I think online shopping is just killing retail stores. I, for one, can’t stand to shop for clothes online. I like to go to the store, look, try on— The old fashioned way. My teenage daughters, however, spend alot of their spare time shopping for clothes online and can get some pretty good deals.
In the more affluant areas, the malls are doing just fine. But alas, one day they too will go as those same riff raff move in.
We also have a new type of new mall, all the shops open to the sidewalk. There is no walking inside store to store. This I have to assume is to keep shop lifting down, no place to hide. I like this mall.
Edward J. DeBartolo is deeply saddened.
But even the nice malls are moving more toward an open "village" feel like "Firewheel Town Center"
Have become? They have been for years. The gangs now just don't care if you know they are in a gang.
We have had several large malls shut their doors years ago because the thugs took over.
When it's not safe to walk the halls of the mall, the mall closes.
We have gun shows in the old Goody’s in our mall.
It hasn’t brought the place back to life, but Andy’s Pizza (I like the gyro’s) is doing OK and we don’t have no riff raff!
As someone else observed, cities would provide direct transportation by bus or train from the ghetto to the mall. One I used to shop at (since closed) started having regular riots several nights a week by the bus commuters. After closing, the city proposed buying the property to be used as a redevelopment zone or some such crap. Hmmm, this is beginning to sound familiar, creating a problem with government money and then proposing to solve it with more government money. Ad nauseum. Ad bankruptcy.
Letting the kids dictate the shopping venue’s atmosphere cuts out adults. “Hanging out” in a place that requires spending money is a call for trouble. And letting social rules be set by bored, unsupervised kids leads to violence.
I don’t go to malls but maybe once a year, but if I do, it’s an upscale one to buy their cheapest stuff. Because, unlike the “affordable” malls, they have security, don’t let the kids cause trouble, and no one ever jokes about how light the crowds are after a shooting.
This is too true. Our local mall is fine if you go in the morning and afternoon. After about 5 pm, it is an entirely different experience.
Obviously what is needed is a program by the Obama administration to subsidize the under performing malls until they get back on their feet.
This is exactly what is being built here. I love it, reminds me of walking DOWNTOWN from Dept.store to store, many, many years ago. lol
People don't like box malls (as nice as they tried to make them) and people want "open community spaces"
The Harbor in Rockwall Texas has been tremendously popular.
Malls never did it for me.
I wish they would bring back that downtown feel.
I remember eating at the Woolworth’s down town as a kid.
Good cheap grub.
All the Art deco buildings, all the lights sounds and smells.
It’s really easy to sew a dress. Find a pattern you like and the fabric selection is great. You can alter it to fit you as you like it. When you find your favorite design you can make the same style in different fabrics. It’s fun.
Also, you can hire someone to make you a dress from a pattern and fabric you like. It does not cost all that much.
Those were the days, when adults actually took pride in the way they looked. Women in dresses, suits, hats & gloves, stockings with seams, high heels. Dressed to the nines, cause someone may see you.lol
Drag main street on a Friday night, those were the days, sigh.
Beautiful pictures BTW.
At least fine those landlords and stores for daring to close shop and deprive the thugs their right to steal.
Smalltowns in their heyday is just my cup of tea.
I miss the Isaly's
There's still a few left
Those days you did not have to be afraid to walk down the street. There were not hoodlums wandering around, back then they were called VAGRANTS and would be hauled away for loitering. Now Vagrancy is a common thing.
I know how to sew- did it for years when the fabric selection actually was great. Don’t know where you live, but where I am, it’s just Joanne’s, now only good for finding quilting fabric, IMHO. I get your point, but really, after working all day, I am not too hept up on having to sew my own clothes. May be forced to, however.
I have a machine and a couple of patterns and some fabric, but no place to set up anymore.
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