For decades, the mall has been the pinnacle of shopping experiences. Patrons can casually walk the tiled corridors and visit an array of stores to cater to their every need. For a whole generation, it was the cornerstone of their social activity. Somewhere between the Sbarro and the no-name Chinese Food place rest the memories of a teenager who grew up in the 80s. As of late, the mall has been seen a decline in patronage but that hasn’t stopped businesses to do their best and take advantage of the walk-in traffic.
Corporate IT Services Kiosk
So that awesome computer sciences degree that was recently received from ITT Technical Institute isn’t necessarily pay off the dividends you thought they were going to pay. The job market is flooded with new techies desperately looking for work. Those that had work are finding themselves competing with these newbies for jobs that they’re far over qualified for. Amongst this group is a bunch that is bringing the dot.com phenomenon to a renaissance level again. Tech support consulting start ups hit a record number in 2013. Most of which are just some guy working out of his garage. Bonus points are given to those for the creativity of taking it to the center promenade of the mall although it does seem odd that professional services run effectively from a kiosk.
Car Dealership
You’re cruising down the mall and heading out towards the Macy’s that’s the anchor store and lo and behold! resting between the lingerie store and the candle store is a car dealership. The first question that comes to mind is that of wonder. Do they actually sell any cars from this place? If they do, how does one take a test drive? Nonetheless a busy urban mall seems like the most unlikely place for a car dealership, unless that dealership is under a tent in the parking lot.
Shoe Shine Liquid
These guys have to be the pushiest of random businesses in the whole mall. Trying to avoid these guys is like trying to avoid getting sand in odd places while at the beach. They’re relentless. Their technique is astounding, though. They shine an inch of your shoe with some liquid then pressure you into buying the stuff. Meanwhile, you are continually looking at that one inch of shoe that is in vast contrast to the rest of it.
Wal-Mart
All over the country, Wal-Mart stores are now becoming the anchor stores in malls. This just seems really weird as it is stores like Wal-Mart that has just about everything anybody needs under one roof. In a strange way, this contradicts everything that boutique mall stores are about. Why would anybody buy DVDs or Video Games from a specialty mall store when they can get the same thing for $5 cheaper and a gallon of milk from Wal-Mart. Sadly, there’s some irony going on here which is why having a Wal-Mart connected to a mall just seems outright weird.
As Seen on TV
Where does one go to buy all those bizarre items you see on the late night infomercials? Well if you’re absolutely possessed to purchase a Shake Weight, Snuggie, or that thing for your dog to do their #1s and #2s and don’t want to wait around for late night television to get the number, there’s the As Seen on TV Store. Some of the stuff being sold is rather interesting but resting between the thing that makes the perfect tortilla bowl and the tap lights is that undying question. Why would anybody buy this stuff at marked up prices at a mall store front?
Quick Massage
It seems like these things are popping up everywhere. Sometimes there’s more than one in a mall with one usually out doing the other by a dollar. Seems like a competitive business, and it technically is, all it takes is some decent massage equipment that can be purchased online, a small amount of capital, and a valid business license, and any business minded massage therapist can simply set up shop in the middle of the mall. All they need is a chair with a whiteboard sign from the anchoring Wal-Mart to start generating some walk-by business.
Julie White is a marketing director of a major mall in Southern California. For more information on organizational behavior of people, she spends her time reading articles from this site.
Marty Huggins
