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Respected Contributor
Posts: 3,355
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: I Went to a Mall and it Made Me Cry

[ Edited ]

@Sooner wrote:

@reiki604 wrote:

@Sooner wrote:

@SamBrown wrote:

@Sooner wrote:

Crime is overlooked and people don't work for a living in many instances.  Entitlement has led to this.  We think everyone deserves everything just because.  


@Sooner   Unemployment is way down.  Who, exactly are all of these people who are not working?  Entitlement has led to the downfall of malls???  I think malls/stores themselves have led to their own downfall.  


@SamBrown Easy answer on this one.  People who aren't counted in our underground economy.  A number of people who aren't on the books aren't working.  They are robbing, dealing, grifting and living off free stuff doled out to anyone who asks--no questions or proof of anything needed.

 

Why work? They are lots of the people you see on video breaking into cars, breaking into stores, robbing in parking lots, dealing drugs, and on and on.  We didn't used to see all that back when the economy thrived and malls were SAFE, which they are not now. 

 

Correlation?  Yep.  Causation?  A big probably from what I see. 


The people you are talking about have always been there. They are nothing new and there have been complaints about them for as long as there have been retail stores. I remember my grandparents having a very similar conversation back in the 60's, 60 years ago. The only difference is there weren't malls, only streets lined with stores. Dangerous because people 'knew you were carrying money' since you were in a shopping area and credit cards weren't a thingl yet.


@reiki604 True but today they run rampant, not jailed, just living off the working folk as "homeless" and "victims."  It is ALLOWED today and basically encouraged.  

 

And oddly, people who are working and paying for their upkeep are allowing it to happen.  I know there are lots who need help, and many of them don't get it because the thieves and scammers are in line first.

 

And in most cities, compare the amount of money put on on homeless people and the number they say that have.  Where I live, we could buy 'em a condo each for what is being spent.  Something is very wrong in this system.


@Sooner The elder generation has always said the same thing about current situations. There's a reason the phrase "In my day......" has becomel such a cliche. In 'our' day, therre was never such a discrepancy between the amount of uber wealthy and poor and they were able to live on minimun wage unlike what they are paying at mallls. People can no longer afford to work there.


'I refuse to engage in a battle of wits with an unarmed man'.......Unknown
QVC Customer Care
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Registered: ‎06-14-2015
Valued Contributor
Posts: 787
Registered: ‎10-16-2010

Re: I Went to a Mall and it Made Me Cry

There's constant churning in retail. The stores and malls I frequented with my mom when I was a little girl were gone or radically transformed by the time I was a teen or young adult. And the stores and malls I frequented in my 20s were gone by the time I was in my 30s and 40s. 

 

Who else can remember when "Victoria's Secret" actually sold Victorian-themed gifts with an occasional fluttery nightgown? Woman LOL

 

QVC is also very different than it was 20 years ago. 

 

Retail is a business of relentless competition and constant adaptation. Always has been. That's the biz. 

 

What's sad is that the social aspect of shopping is no longer as leisurely as it was years ago. 

Trusted Contributor
Posts: 1,831
Registered: ‎07-10-2019

Re: I Went to a Mall and it Made Me Cry

[ Edited ]

Yes @Trinity11 my Mom drove  my dad to the train every morning to go to the city and she told me Sabrina was being filmed when I saw it. Smiley Happy Yes, small world indeed.

Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 5,671
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: I Went to a Mall and it Made Me Cry

Our mall has almost every store gone and it's so sad. Had such good times going with friends, alone, or family.

We live in a different  world from when I grew before malls, and during.  

Before malls, I would go to downtown SF with my grandma and the big dept. stores, most gone.  Ride the cable car. Go to different restaurants that didn't charge and arm and a leg to have lunch after shopping.  Everything was safe and people respected one another.  

The salespeople knew the items they were selling and actually were happy for your business. They were very respectful and so were the customers.

Sad.  Today you can't get good customer service or anyone to even answer the phone.

I grew up where you spoke to an actual operator.  I worked for the phone company as an operator.  I'm old, so I remember how great things used to be and it makes me sad how bad things are geting.

What can we do?

 

 

 

Honored Contributor
Posts: 14,938
Registered: ‎03-11-2010

Re: I Went to a Mall and it Made Me Cry

All that's left in our Mall is a doctor's office which runs her practice on one side of the hallway with her office where they do CDL, drug tests etc across the hallway. We also have a chinese restaurant plus two stores. I have no idea what two stores they are.

 

Respected Contributor
Posts: 2,768
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: I Went to a Mall and it Made Me Cry

I've only had time to read the first page of posts, so perhaps someone has already said this:  Covid hit like a lightning-bolt where I live, and the slim profit margins between leasing at a high rent but getting many more shoppers who were intent and reliable buyers worked until Feb 2020.  Then noone shoppped for two years.  Hard to carry a debit for two years. 

 

I was a happy mall shopper, but have a relative with compromised health due to autoimmune-influencing drugs.  I discovered Amazon and a few other websites and switched to those.

 

Things change in life, and malls are not what they once were--the best source for current fashions.  Online shopping killed the malls.  Lord knows, I had no option but computer shopping in my community, which was stricken badly with Covid.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 9,877
Registered: ‎12-22-2013

Re: I Went to a Mall and it Made Me Cry


@rockygems123 wrote:

@beach-mom It's so sad to see such a downfall.  Change is inevitable however in our past change was usually for the better.  

 

Our parents were grateful to see their hard work pay off and they were proud to give us a better life.  

 

As @SharkE says public places are not as safe as they were, truly a shame.

 

Your post had me picture great day trips with friends, was such a different time.

 

And growing up in SF we had the luxury of fancy dinners at the Mark Hopkins, the Fairmont for proms, parents' friends coming into town, girlfriend lunches and shopping at beautiful stores, all a thing of the long gone past.  So thankful we no longer live there and have adjusted and can enjoy the beauty of Colorado.  


I visited a friend in Loveland CO and loved it.  We also went to Estes Park.  Absolutely gorgeous.  Lots of outside stuff to do and a lot of free stuff for families to doSmiley Happy

Respected Contributor
Posts: 3,517
Registered: ‎06-04-2012

Re: I Went to a Mall and it Made Me Cry


@mspatmac wrote:

@rockygems123 wrote:

@beach-mom It's so sad to see such a downfall.  Change is inevitable however in our past change was usually for the better.  

 

Our parents were grateful to see their hard work pay off and they were proud to give us a better life.  

 

As @SharkE says public places are not as safe as they were, truly a shame.

 

Your post had me picture great day trips with friends, was such a different time.

 

And growing up in SF we had the luxury of fancy dinners at the Mark Hopkins, the Fairmont for proms, parents' friends coming into town, girlfriend lunches and shopping at beautiful stores, all a thing of the long gone past.  So thankful we no longer live there and have adjusted and can enjoy the beauty of Colorado.  


@rockygems123 

 

I understand completely how you feel.  My daughter and I lived in the East Bay and would take BART into SF on weekends, hop a cable car and just take advantage of what the City had to offer.  I remember shopping for prom dresses as Jessica McClintock and to many memories to list.

 

I am now very happily in North Texas but so sad beautiful San Francisco is all but destroyed.  


@mspatmacJessica Mclintock store on Post Street I think? was great.   We were so skinny then we'd be able to shop the annual model sample sales and at that point when they were just beginning the clothes were hand made and of beautiful fabrics. 

 

That is great you are happy in north Texas, we can both have a sigh of relief Smiley Happy

Honored Contributor
Posts: 13,912
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: I Went to a Mall and it Made Me Cry


@Mindy D wrote:

@beach-mom @I like your writing style. 


 

Thank you @Mindy D! I love to write and taught it for a lot of years. Now in my second career I still write a lot!   Smiley Wink