When was the last time you visited a shopping mall? For me, it had been almost two years, since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. I knew things had been doing downhill before that, when Macy’s closed and Sears pulled out. Still it was a bustling place with rows of boutiques and specialty shops to meet every need. Retail therapy was alive and well. Now fully vaccinated, I drove across town to look for a new fall sweater. Drove around to Penny’s and found they’d blocked the back entrance. The front entrance was lit up as always, and my spirits lifted as I walked in the door. Headed straight toward the inner mall. Then, the shockwaves hit. Most of the stores along the hallways were dark and empty. Gone forever! Only a few holdouts remained; surprisingly, a shoe store and a nail salon. A wave of apprehension washed over me. Creepy glost malls are a scary sign.

Creepy Ghost Malls Are a Scary Sign — Creepy Ghost Malls Are A Scary Sign. Will the economy really bounce back from all that loss?

I needed something to bolster my spirits. Coffee! Headed for the food court. None of the three remaining food bars served coffee. Only bottled beverages. The seating area was deserted.. That made everything seem worse. But of course, it made sense. How many people sit down to eat in a dying mall?

Of the three boutiques left that sold women’s clothing, none had a black cardigan. The merchandise was all picked over, and there were sale racks everywhere. I saw more clerks than customers. Empty handed, I returned to the car. Now I was hungry, but most of the nearby restaurants were shut down. Finally drove to a Chick Filet, where they no longer sell chicken salad sandwiches. Only fried stuff. Most of the seating area closed, Lots of people ordering carryout. The cashier checked in the back and found me some coffee, so I sat down and took off my mask to drink it, along with some little chicken nuggets.

Why is the stock market at an all time high, and home sales booming? The feds tell us everything is coming up roses. But how? Millions of dollars in merchandise, jobs, and potential income have been lost forever in the mall and surrounding areas. Some of that brick and mortar money went to e-commerce, but not all. There has to be a lot of empty pockets. Are we headed for a recession? I don’t know, but creepy ghost malls are a scary sign.

Believe it or not, I had never purchased anything from a picture in a catalog until I was over 50. Strangely enough, my first job out of college was as a catalog copywriter for Montgomery Ward in Chicago. It was the first step into the glamourous world of advertising. But there’s no way I would have ordered so much as a pair of socks. Not when there was Michigan Avenue, with Carson’s, Marshall Field’s and all of the wonderful stores within walking distance. But later on, I married a man who had been born and raised on a farm in Nebraska. Catalog shopping was a way of life for him. Even before Covid, I had succumbed to the lure of all the shiny catalogs he received. And during the pandemic, it was the only way to go. Now, we receive at least one package every week. Help! We’re addicted to catalogs.

Help! We're addicted to catalogs. It's so much easier than in store shopping, but we buy more..

Help! We’re addicted to catalogs. During the pandemic, we came to enjoy the convenience. Trouble is, we buy a lot more.

By catalogs, I include shopping websites like Amazon. Buying from a picture on online is no different than a catalog purchase. You like what you see, read the product description, click on “buy now,” and wait for the package to show up at your doorstep or in your mailbox. Sometimes, you’re disappointed. The shoe doesn’t fit, or the beige dress turns out to be yellow. And returns are somewhat of a bother. But I’ve always gotten my money back, and I didn’t have to stand in line at a customer service counter.

I still miss retail therapy. Smelling the perfume as you walk in a department store; seeing all the bright new fashions, geegaws and gimcracks on display. You could spend hours going from one department to the other. But there’s the problem for seniors. A trip to the mall leaves us exhausted.

Online shopping, or e-commerce, as they call it, has increased by 34% since the beginning of the covid-19 pandemic. Some small shops are beginning to open up again, and a few larger stores have kept their doors open. But now, we’ve grown fond of ordering from the comfort of our homes.. There’s much more to choose from, and it’s so easy. I’m afraid we’ll never see the return of the big department stores we loved in the 20^th century

The trouble is, we’re buying a lot more stuff than we used to. Help! We’re addicted to catalogs.

Tag: e commerce

CREEPY GHOST MALLS A SCARY SIGN

HELP! WE’RE ADDICTED TO CATALOGS.

The trouble is, we’re buying a lot more stuff than we used to. Help! We’re addicted to catalogs.