Group Department Stores into five tiers

[jeffandnicole]

I still don't understand why malls are being phased out in favor of strip malls. To me it makes no sense to move from stores with weatherproof entrances to stores that all open out into a non-enclosed parking lot.

Malls are also regional in nature.  If I can drive by nearly any store that has what I need before I get to the mall, I'm going to just drive to those stores instead.

[kphoger]

I still don't understand why malls are being phased out in favor of strip malls. To me it makes no sense to move from stores with weatherproof entrances to stores that all open out into a non-enclosed parking lot.

Malls are also regional in nature.  If I can drive by nearly any store that has what I need before I get to the mall, I'm going to just drive to those stores instead.

The only time I need to go to multiple retail stores in one day is when shopping for Christmas presents.  Other than that, malls serve no purpose to me.

[abefroman329]

park in a giant parking lot and walk through Sears and past several other stores until you get to the store you need.

You forgot to mention panties.  Without fail, you always end up parking by the door that leads to women's lingerie.

Don't look at the panties.  Everyone will notice you looking at the panties, and they'll think your a pervert.  PANTIES!!  hehehehehe.....  No, don't look!  Ah, geez, now that lady thinks I'm a pervert.  Hmmm, I wonder what kind of panties she....NO!!  STOP IT!!

Ah, you've also seen the Christmas episode of Father Ted, then.

[Flint1979]

How many times has Walmart been an anchor at a traditional mall?

First and only one I ever encountered was Richmond Mall in Richmond, Ky. It was built in the late '80s. A few years later, Walmart built a standalone store next door to the mall (and later reverse-engineered it into a Supercenter.) Richmond Mall is dying a slow death, as Penney (the other anchor) moved to a new facility in a strip mall-type plaza on the other side of town.

I've seen Target as a mall anchor in Bloomington, Ind.

Bay City Town Center had a Target as an anchor but it closed about 3 years ago.
Midland Mall has one.

[Flint1979]

And actually Target is about to be Midland Mall's only anchor once Younker's closes, it's lost JCPenney and Sears.

[hbelkins]

park in a giant parking lot and walk through Sears and past several other stores until you get to the store you need.

You forgot to mention panties.  Without fail, you always end up parking by the door that leads to women's lingerie.

Don't look at the panties.  Everyone will notice you looking at the panties, and they'll think your a pervert.  PANTIES!!  hehehehehe.....  No, don't look!  Ah, geez, now that lady thinks I'm a pervert.  Hmmm, I wonder what kind of panties she....NO!!  STOP IT!!

Second Floor. Hardware, children's wear, ladies' lingerie.

Because it's more convenient to drive up to whatever store you need than to park in a giant parking lot and walk through Sears and past several other stores until you get to the store you need.

I was thinking more about getting out in the rain (or cold or snow or searing heat/tropical humidity) multiple times vs. only having to do it once.

The only time I need to go to multiple retail stores in one day is when shopping for Christmas presents.  Other than that, malls serve no purpose to me.

Well, I tend to avoid crowded places like malls anyway, and the specialty stores in the malls tend to be overpriced and not carry anything I'm interested in buying, so I don't go there either. It's been years since I've been in Fayette Mall in Lexington, for instance. But for a development like the new Hamburg Pavilion in Lexington, it's a pain to go in Target, then have to get in the car and drive to the other end of the strip to shop at Office Depot, then go across the other side of the access road to Petsmart and Best Buy.

[kphoger]

But for a development like the new Hamburg Pavilion in Lexington, it's a pain to go in Target, then have to get in the car and drive to the other end of the strip to shop at Office Depot, then go across the other side of the access road to Petsmart and Best Buy.

I actually find it more of a pain to have to haul all of my stuff from multiple stores to opposite ends of a mall and then shop with all those bags in my hands.  Easier to stick stuff from each store in the back of the car.

[jeffandnicole]

Well, I tend to avoid crowded places like malls anyway, and the specialty stores in the malls tend to be overpriced and not carry anything I'm interested in buying, so I don't go there either. It's been years since I've been in Fayette Mall in Lexington, for instance. But for a development like the new Hamburg Pavilion in Lexington, it's a pain to go in Target, then have to get in the car and drive to the other end of the strip to shop at Office Depot, then go across the other side of the access road to Petsmart and Best Buy.

It seems like you're trying to create extreme examples here. 

How often are you really shopping at all 4 stores at one time? 

And sticking with your extreme examples, would you shop at Sears for a TV, then walk to Macy's for clothes with the TV in hand, then walk to, um, I guess some office supply store in the mall with your bags of TVs and clothes to pick up reams of paper, then, huh, walk to the specialty pet store for peanut butter flavored biscuits with your TV, clothes and paper?

[abefroman329]

The thing is, for me, "the mall" isn't a destination in and of itself any more.  I go to Lincolnwood Mall to drop stuff off at Kohl's to return to Amazon, OR to go to Old Navy, OR to go to GNC for protein powder, OR to the Best Buy Express to pick up my new cell phone.  I go to Old Orchard to go to the Apple Store OR to go to North Face.  Rarely do I go to more than one store on a trip, and never when I'm going to the mall by myself.

And I suspect I'm not the only one who feels that way.

[hbelkins]

And sticking with your extreme examples, would you shop at Sears for a TV, then walk to Macy's for clothes with the TV in hand, then walk to, um, I guess some office supply store in the mall with your bags of TVs and clothes to pick up reams of paper, then, huh, walk to the specialty pet store for peanut butter flavored biscuits with your TV, clothes and paper?

No, I can get all those things under one roof at Walmart. 

[kphoger]

I still don't understand why malls are being phased out

I can get all those things under one roof at Walmart.

And now you understand why.

[abefroman329]

I still don't understand why malls are being phased out

I can get all those things under one roof at Walmart.

And now you understand why.

And propping up the mall by having Walmart move in as an anchor won't work, because Walmart would sell almost everything you could buy at the other stores in the mall.  In fact, I'm not sure why Target works as an anchor at several malls.

[vdeane]

I usually grab a slice of cookie cake at Great American Cookies after shopping at JCPenney at Crossgates Mall.  I used to walk between them since I don't find it to be a burden, though I started driving the distance because I got tired of being harassed by sales people at the kiosks on the mall floor.  Driving there also allows me to (legally) use the ramp to I-87 leaving the mall, since nearly every parking lot exit is posted "no left turn" (though most people ignore the signs since they likely predate the ramp being built).

[hbelkins]

I still don't understand why malls are being phased out

I can get all those things under one roof at Walmart.

And now you understand why.

You forgot the part where I was talking about under-one-roof-malls being abandoned in favor of strip-mall-type centers.

What's old is new again, I guess, as strip malls are replacing enclosed centers in a rapid pace.

But online purchases are hurting even Walmart.

[abefroman329]

I still don't understand why malls are being phased out

I can get all those things under one roof at Walmart.

And now you understand why.

You forgot the part where I was talking about under-one-roof-malls being abandoned in favor of strip-mall-type centers.

What's old is new again, I guess, as strip malls are replacing enclosed centers in a rapid pace.

But online purchases are hurting even Walmart.

If malls are no longer destinations in and of themselves (and, with the number of dead and dying malls, it would appear that's the case), then it stands to reason that enclosed malls are going away.

[hotdogPi]

The Mall at Rockingham Park and the Pheasant Lane Mall, both in New Hampshire, are still destinations. No sales tax, and they're just across the state line.

[kphoger]

I still don't understand why malls are being phased out

I can get all those things under one roof at Walmart.

And now you understand why.

You forgot the part where I was talking about under-one-roof-malls being abandoned in favor of strip-mall-type centers.

What's old is new again, I guess, as strip malls are replacing enclosed centers in a rapid pace.

But online purchases are hurting even Walmart.

You forgot the part where you can also do your weekly grocery shopping and buy a jug of antifreeze at WalMart at the same time.

[abefroman329]

I still don't understand why malls are being phased out

I can get all those things under one roof at Walmart.

And now you understand why.

You forgot the part where I was talking about under-one-roof-malls being abandoned in favor of strip-mall-type centers.

What's old is new again, I guess, as strip malls are replacing enclosed centers in a rapid pace.

But online purchases are hurting even Walmart.

You forgot the part where you can also do your weekly grocery shopping and buy a jug of antifreeze at WalMart at the same time.

And a pair of overalls and a gun.

[Takumi]

I still don't understand why malls are being phased out

I can get all those things under one roof at Walmart.

And now you understand why.

You forgot the part where I was talking about under-one-roof-malls being abandoned in favor of strip-mall-type centers.

What's old is new again, I guess, as strip malls are replacing enclosed centers in a rapid pace.

But online purchases are hurting even Walmart.

You forgot the part where you can also do your weekly grocery shopping and buy a jug of antifreeze at WalMart at the same time.

And a pair of overalls and a gun.

And tropical fish and a picnic table.

[abefroman329]

I still don't understand why malls are being phased out

I can get all those things under one roof at Walmart.

And now you understand why.

You forgot the part where I was talking about under-one-roof-malls being abandoned in favor of strip-mall-type centers.

What's old is new again, I guess, as strip malls are replacing enclosed centers in a rapid pace.

But online purchases are hurting even Walmart.

You forgot the part where you can also do your weekly grocery shopping and buy a jug of antifreeze at WalMart at the same time.

And a pair of overalls and a gun.

And tropical fish and a picnic table.

And a paintbrush and a quilt.

Some people have really weird shopping lists.

[kkt]

I still don't understand why malls are being phased out

I can get all those things under one roof at Walmart.

And now you understand why.

You forgot the part where I was talking about under-one-roof-malls being abandoned in favor of strip-mall-type centers.

What's old is new again, I guess, as strip malls are replacing enclosed centers in a rapid pace.

But online purchases are hurting even Walmart.

You forgot the part where you can also do your weekly grocery shopping and buy a jug of antifreeze at WalMart at the same time.

And a pair of overalls and a gun.

And a banjo?

[abefroman329]

I still don't understand why malls are being phased out

I can get all those things under one roof at Walmart.

And now you understand why.

You forgot the part where I was talking about under-one-roof-malls being abandoned in favor of strip-mall-type centers.

What's old is new again, I guess, as strip malls are replacing enclosed centers in a rapid pace.

But online purchases are hurting even Walmart.

You forgot the part where you can also do your weekly grocery shopping and buy a jug of antifreeze at WalMart at the same time.

And a pair of overalls and a gun.

And a banjo?

Don't be silly, Walmart doesn't sell banjos.

[kphoger]

I still don't understand why malls are being phased out

I can get all those things under one roof at Walmart.

And now you understand why.

You forgot the part where I was talking about under-one-roof-malls being abandoned in favor of strip-mall-type centers.

What's old is new again, I guess, as strip malls are replacing enclosed centers in a rapid pace.

But online purchases are hurting even Walmart.

You forgot the part where you can also do your weekly grocery shopping and buy a jug of antifreeze at WalMart at the same time.

And a pair of overalls and a gun.

And a banjo?

Don't be silly, Walmart doesn't sell banjos.

But a bicycle helmet....

[abefroman329]

I still don't understand why malls are being phased out

I can get all those things under one roof at Walmart.

And now you understand why.

You forgot the part where I was talking about under-one-roof-malls being abandoned in favor of strip-mall-type centers.

What's old is new again, I guess, as strip malls are replacing enclosed centers in a rapid pace.

But online purchases are hurting even Walmart.

You forgot the part where you can also do your weekly grocery shopping and buy a jug of antifreeze at WalMart at the same time.

And a pair of overalls and a gun.

And a banjo?

Don't be silly, Walmart doesn't sell banjos.

But a bicycle helmet....

Don't be silly, you can't play a bicycle helmet.

[webny99]

I still don't understand why malls are being phased out

I can get all those things under one roof at Walmart.

And now you understand why.

You forgot the part where I was talking about under-one-roof-malls being abandoned in favor of strip-mall-type centers.
What's old is new again, I guess, as strip malls are replacing enclosed centers in a rapid pace.
But online purchases are hurting even Walmart.

You forgot the part where you can also do your weekly grocery shopping and buy a jug of antifreeze at WalMart at the same time.

And a pair of overalls and a gun.

And a banjo?

Don't be silly, Walmart doesn't sell banjos.

But a bicycle helmet....

Don't be silly, you can't play a bicycle helmet.

[/longest quote since roadgeekteen was around]

And look at how neat and efficient the quote string is now that I condensed it.