GameStop vs Amazon (GME. -1Billion)
Anyone who says they never went to the mall as a teenager with absolutely no intention of actually purchasing anything cannot be trusted. In my opinion, these buildings labeled junk space provide the perfect site for gathering and socializing. As we got older, we moved away from the social construct of the strip mall and started to think of these places as a resource. But with the rise of Amazon and other giants that ship you literally anything within 24 hours, why do we need the physical stores? Some might say being in a store allows you to touch and see things in a way that is impossible through the web. But then I remind you that we just learned a whole lot about Virtual Reality and its emergence as a means of communicating feelings and visuals. When it comes down to it, society would definitely survive without the strip mall. It’s that simple. Society basically had to do exactly that for the past year, and I am sure the owners of malls and the developers of malls will see this as a change in direction for the future of the consumer.
With all that being said, Amazon, among other big consumer companies, will surely create a monopoly on just about everything, essentially destroying any concept of a small business. I think people want to go to strip malls, people want to get out of their room and meet a friend somewhere new, and I definitely know that people hate the idea of kicking the chair out from beneath the little guy. So yeah, some strip malls might be ugly, they might be completely out of date, some might even smell way too much like Auntie Ann’s, but being able to walk around the mall, socialize, and shop local is a part of society that will be missed when strip malls are no more.
Dan, I agree with you concerning the difference between using the mall as a way to get out of our home boxes and socialize vs. online shopping especially in this time and age.
ReplyDeleteI like the way you laid out the importance of strip malls as junkspaces , but can we think about a way to reverse the ship you know? Instead of purchasing everything online (which has to do with many reasons including speed, infrastructures, and geography), can we instead, as architects, rethink how to save strip malls? I believe that by building more junkspaces that at least are recyclable and sustainable in terms of infrastructure and social needs, we might be able to bring back those traditions of walking with our loved ones, friends, in the mall and having fun.
That is a question for all of us as designers I believe, and hopefully there might be a shift between using Amazon vs. going to the mall in the future.
On an end note, can you talk about Gamestop? why is the price going up? anything to do with junkspaces?
Dan, I have the exact same sentiments when it comes to malls. I am also unashamed to say that Auntie Anne's is a tradition every time I go to a mall with my mom back home, and I love that smell.
ReplyDeleteI think the need for a place to gather is human nature, and you can find spaces like that since the beginning of our human history. Is it sad that strip malls are our generation's piazza? I'm sure that says something about consumerism in our society but I'm not going to look into it.
Let's build better malls!
ReplyDeleteFinally, an achievable architectural goal.
ReplyDeleteGreat commentary Dan! As ugly as these strip malls may be, some of my fondest memories growing up are about going to the ice cream shop with my friends at our local strip mall. These "junkspaces" still have merit in offering a place of gathering and socializing. Maybe future architects can find a way to use the framework for these strip malls to create spaces intentionally designed for social gathering, rather than mindless browsing.
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