Malls as an "escape"
Malls and department stores are designed to entertain the consumer and to entice spending. They are (were?) far more successful at this than properly showcasing a product. I remember when I was a kid and the Hollister and Abercrombie+Fitch stores were dimly lit with loud music - they were showcasing an image and an experience. These places were intended to be "escapes" from the monotony of everyday life and allowed people to view themselves through the lens of each store, with each tenant in the mall projecting a different image of you.
Now, this "escape" people used to use malls for - can be accomplished from a couch, park bench, or a seat on a train, simply with a smartphone. Sites like Zappo's and Amazon (and any stores website pretty much) can replace trips to the mall. People don't usually seek the "escape" at the mall anymore because it has been placed at our very fingertips with smartphones. This is one of the many reasons why malls are fading away.
Now, this "escape" people used to use malls for - can be accomplished from a couch, park bench, or a seat on a train, simply with a smartphone. Sites like Zappo's and Amazon (and any stores website pretty much) can replace trips to the mall. People don't usually seek the "escape" at the mall anymore because it has been placed at our very fingertips with smartphones. This is one of the many reasons why malls are fading away.
Why go all the way to this store in the mall when you can use Zappo's from the comfort of your own studio desk?
Forget going to Bed Bath and Beyond, get your toasters on Zappos (No, zappos didn't pay me to advertise their website)
Comparing to the fading away shopping mall you said, Japanese shopping malls are still hot. In addition to personalized details of service and intimate infrastructure, but also into a variety of social functions to attract a wider area of consumer base and increase consumer stickiness. This is nothing more than a business mode that needs to progress with technology.
ReplyDeleteThe advancement of technology will doom us to a world of isolation until we figure out how to effectively promote community and interaction without promoting consumerism (i.e. shopping malls)
ReplyDeleteI agree with Jiayi about malls in other places with more density and users from all stratas of society, where malls are kept alive just by their strategic location and convenience. But I am surprised that even my family has been getting local fresh food supplies (things you generally wouldn't expect online) freshly delivered to our house after the click of a button.
ReplyDeleteYou make it sound like malls will go extinct because of online shopping. While it's true online shopping's popularity is growing exponentially, people still enjoy the experience you get at the mall. That sense of community can't be replaced on your phone. Teenagers are perhaps the most technology-dependent demographic group, but hanging out with friends at malls is almost like a pastime for teens, and they obviously go there for the experience because teens don't have money to blow at the mall. Just an example. Don't @ me.
ReplyDelete@Julian Owens
DeleteI personally enjoy going to the mall to shop and people watch. But because of online shopping, malls are quickly dissipating and leaving behind not just junkspace, but empty junkspace. So what happens then? Although it is tempting to tear down and start over, I think we can come up with ways to reuse these spaces. What type of spaces cannot be replaced with technology?
ReplyDeleteI would agree that typically shopping malls are slowly dying. It seems that younger generations are more satisfied with convince and accessibility than they are the typical shopping experience. Brick and mortar store are slowly dwindling away but Katie makes a good point. They don't magically disappear once they become obsolete. How can we renovate and reuse these junkspaces to make them relevant again.
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