I was stuck in rain in a small town recently and with nothing to do for the evening decided to walk around in the mall. Being a weeknight, the crowds were sparse and the stores largely empty. I went from one to another often to find myself the only customer. All items were over-priced the point that even clearance rack prices made no sense. It was no surprise that no one was buying. They say that the death of the American mall may have been greatly exaggerated and I certainly claim no subject matter expertise on the topic averaging two visits a year. But in times past, a mall would rarely be this empty no matter what day of the week or time of day- it was always a good time to shop for someone.
I wonder if working from home has reduced mall attendance. People could have swung by on the way home or on their lunch break but now that will need a separate trip- the opportunistic traffic could have faded out resulting in the deserted look. For the one off shopper like it it feels more stressful if all employees in the store are waiting to see what if anything I will buy - its not fun to be in a fish-bowl while browsing random things you don't need or want. It makes the experience even more unpleasant, I was glad to have the rain ease up complete my walk outside and head back to the hotel.
Comments