auntblabby
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Joined: 12 Feb 2010
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Location: the island of defective toy santas
29 Jun 2014, 8:39 pm
30 Jun 2014, 12:28 am
KB8CWB wrote:
rapidroy wrote:
....To be honest I could not care less if the places closed from my perspective as a consumer who hates the crowed chaotic mall experience, however malls have always been a good source of student jobs and have always been prime hangout areas.
I am more sad as the closing of these malls reflects the overall unhealthy state of the economy and the loss of a very large proportion of the middle class. These anchor stores such as Sears, Penny's, etc have failed and done so poorly as to be a contributing factor in the decline of the indoor malls. What are we left with now? Mostly substandard products that many can barely afford compared to a generation past where good quality products were manufactured here and SOLD here to people who were strongly middle class.
rapidroy wrote:
It appears that as big box stores branch out into all things retail the need to be in a indoor mall paying hefty rent rates in perpetuity has greatly diminished and without the anchor stores paying the their rent and upkeep the economic model just does not work, the slow economy just speeds up the organic process.
I enjoyed seeing the photos again, I remember when out local mall almost ended up looking completely like that before it sold and got renovated in the mid-1990s.
I enjoyed seeing the photos again, I remember when out local mall almost ended up looking completely like that before it sold and got renovated in the mid-1990s.
Yes but again, the big box stores have a poor selection of poorly made products. Worse yet Walmart as of the past year or two can't even keep simple items in stock. But where else do you get these products now? Walmart has pushed all the businesses that traditionally carried things out of business. Between the loss of purchasing power of the consumer and the shrinking middle class and the competition from cheap imports we are in a downward spiral economically. Yes many factors involved but bottom line is the United States is a mere shadow of what once was.
I do most of my shopping online anymore. Why? For one I cannot find what I require locally as all that carried these items are out of business. I will also admit aversion to crowds and dealing with all that. That however is a personal defect I suffer from (being an aspie) and this affects many of us on the spectrum. Many who liked to shop and had no issue with crowds are also stuck in this downward spiral.
I hope I see a turnaround before I leave this world but I seriously doubt it. The next 2 or 3 generations will have it rough I am afraid.
Auntblabby, I think most governments won't touch these places because the ones that aren't of interest to private sector corporate landlords fail building inspections quite bad, its not good when governments to go around picking up all of the real estate that no one else wants, there is usually a reason for it.
auntblabby
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Joined: 12 Feb 2010
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Posts: 113,681
Location: the island of defective toy santas
30 Jun 2014, 12:30 am
there is so much waste and perversity in this world. 
