August 16th, 2023

I keep reading articles about how "malls" are a thing of the past,  that they are failing rapidly all across America and that they represent an America that no longer exists.  I'm not sure what that thing is that no longer exists, by the way.  Just telling you what people who seem to know what they are talking about are saying.  Or rather, writing.  

 We have two malls near us, the closest one is the Sarasota Square Mall and the other is University Town Center Mall, better known as UTC.    Both are in Sarasota which is only a half hour from here.  There are Zero malls in Venice off or on island.  We are mall-less.  Your choices for shopping in Venice are either free-standing big box chains off island (and there's nothing wrong with that) or the pricey but adorable little boutiques the line the downtown area on island. (and there is nothing wrong with that either)

I have done some gift shopping at the boutiques as well as more functional, purposeful personal shopping at the chains and both perfectly suited whatever purpose was intended but neither of these things has the convenience of a mall.   In much the same way as I have heard that some people from other countries react during their first America Grocery shop, I was entranced by my first shopping mall experience.  I actually do remember it.

It was in Connecticut.  I vividly recall stepping through the heavy glass doors and just stopping to marvel at the sights and sounds around me.  How beautiful, how clever, how very convenient. Is the day very hot out?  Very Cold out?  Very rainy out?  Doesn't matter. Inside there is no "natural environment", it's just shiny and pretty as far as the eye can see.  And you certainly could stay for hours without realizing it because, much like casino's, there are rarely any clocks or windows.  But that's ok, because not only are there endless shopping options, there are also so very many restaurant choices,  comfy sitting areas, hair and nail salons, movie theatres and very clean bathrooms.  It's almost like a biodome. 

I spent a lot of time way back when, hanging out in a mall, both with and without the kids.  Sometimes we would just go for ice cream or pizza and then walk around.  Take the kids to the movies?  Sure?  Back to School clothes shopping?  Absolutely.  Christmas ?  You betcha!   Or just window shopping! And then when the kids were older, it became one of their hang out places.  There was even a term for it, Mall Rats.  Not a pretty term, but people threw it around liberally.

It doesn't happen for me much anymore.  Due to my driving chicken heartedness, I cannot drive to either of the mall's in Sarasota so I must implore someone else to drive me for one thing. And for another, I just  don't shop very much these days.  Just not how my life currently is.

But occasionally it comes up and with our local malls I have seen both the proof of those articles I referred to earlier and the disproof!

The Sarasota Square Mall is older and is showing it's age.  The grand opening was in 1977 which was 46 years ago.  I'd say for sure it has done it's time.  And in the past 5 years or so, one store after another has closed or relocated leaving only  JC Penney, Costco and a multiplex movie theater.  All that enormous space and  there are now only three things in it.  So sad.  I haven't shopped at Penney's in quite some time but we hit Costco once every few months.  We have never been to the theatre there, I don't think.  There is some talk about turning the existing building into a combination of office spaces and living space.  Interesting idea.

By contrast, the UTC Mall is still vibrant, exciting, shiny and almost  fully populated.  Even though it is now 20 years old, it still looks brand new and spiffy.  It doesn't hurt that the area immediately around it has sprung up countless other plaza's full of shops and restaurants and businesses.  In fact, the Mote Aquarium is currently building immense, beautiful and very contemporary looking new home right on the other side of the UTC parking lot.  It's a happening place.

We recently visited UTC at my instigation.  It was a super hot day but I wanted to get some walking done so for the first time in several years, we hit it up.   Managed to do a little more than 2 miles worth of walking.  We bought nothing but  did look around.  Every once in awhile I like to check out ladies clothing stores to see what's currently in fashion.  Usually a walk through the mall gives me some glimmer of an idea.  But oddly this time it did not.  Even though we went into every single store that sells ladies clothes, I saw every style of fashion imaginable!   So I guess maybe the style right now is, "Anything Goes"?

It's odd that I wanted to check out Ladies FAshion because the only times in my entire life I have ever been in style hav been completely by accident.  Maybe it gives me some sort of grim satisfaction to know just exactly how out of style I am?  Well this time it didn't work.  This time every single woman in the entire mall, regardless of how they were kitted out, apparently, was wearing current fashion.  Nice!

At any rate, I neither proved nor disproved, the articles statement of Mall's being a thing of the past.  Perhaps some are and some aren't.  And I really am not certain what the magic ingredients are to ensure a mall's success.  And of course I only know, first hand, the mall concept's temperature in my own area.  What's it like where you live?

I assume that on-line shopping has severely impacted brick and mortar shops.  But if that's the case,  why would one mall continue to succeed while others fail?  Internet shopping cannot be the only variable.  

It's not as if the answer to this question has the fate of the planet riding on it.  I just wonder about things sometimes and then I look it up and sometimes, I cannot find the answer.  And then I wonder about that too.