Retailing has changed so much over the years. Bartering and trading were the primary forms of commerce in the past. People used to gather in open spaces where merchants sell their products to the consumers; as time went by, the style of retailing evolved along with the economy, and the retailing world developed to what we are experiencing today.
From urban covered markets, specialty shops, and department stores to the malls we have today, the change is breathtaking. Today's shopping malls can host thousands of people, sell almost everything the consumer market requires, and provide everyday needs.
Over the past century, the shopping experience has gone from bartering products in open market spaces to people using Large Walk Through General Access Doors to enter air-conditioned mega malls to see Robin Sparkles sing "Let's Go to the Mall." So let us find out some more interesting facts about how malls changed consumerism.
Fun Fact #1: The Mall of America Contains an Amusement Park, Aquarium, and Flight Simulators.
Yes! The Mall of American is indeed the jack of all trades between malls, recognized as the largest shopping mall in the world. The Mall holds 530 stores spreading over 4.9 million square feet. Aside from the amusement park, aquarium, and flight simulator, it also serves as a home to a children's museum, mini-golf course, a mirror maze, and a comedy club. Imagine that!
Fun Fact #2: The Europeans Inspired the Creation of Malls.
Victor Gruen, a visionary architect, thought of the idea of building the first-ever large-scale shopping mall in Edina, Minnesota, in 1952, getting inspiration from the European piazza from his home city of Vienna. The Mall had an indoor court complete with water fountains, fishponds, sculptures, and plants, providing a space for people to shop, relax and socialize.
Fun Fact #3: There Are a Lot of Abandoned Malls in the United States.
The rise of online shops leads to the abandonment of malls around America. Churches, homes for the homeless, and indoor farms are examples of utilizing abandoned malls.
Fun Fact #4: Frank Lloyd Wright Never Like the First Mall.
Frank is an American architect, writer, education, and designer. When he first saw the Mall with his own eyes, he mentioned, "Having a garden court that has all the dangers of the village street and has no charm," he said. "Who wants to sit in that barren-looking space?". This comment influenced the designers on how to create an appealing commercial landscape for malls.
Fun Fact #5: Malls Can Hypnotize You.
Have you ever wandered around a huge mall and lost your sense of time and geography? The reason behind that is the Gruen Transfer, named after the genius behind malls. This phenomenon gives you that pleasant feeling of disorientation due to the lack of windows, making you spend more time inside. so you better be time conscious in malls, or you'll end up going around in circles for hours
Fun Fact #6: Victor Gruen Disowned His Creation.
VIctor refused to pay alimony for the bastard developments modern designers have done, disturbed about the spirit of architectural innovation on the developers choosing designs to maximize profits and turning Malls into gigantic shopping machines. Dismayed about his made him disown his idea.
Fun Fact #7: Mom-and-Pop Shops Were the Malls of the 18th to 19th century.
The mom-and-pop shop is a family-owned small business. During the 1800s and 1900s, there were many mom-and-pop stores. Most of the stores were drug stores and general stores selling toys, available goods, fabrics, and tools. Settlement expansion was widespread during this time creating new towns, and each city had its mom-and-pop store.
Fun Fact #8: Cha-Ching is Not a Chinese Word
Cha-ching is not a Chinese word. James Ritty invented the first-ever cash register in 1883. It had metal taps and used a simple algorithm to record sales. Upon completing a deal, the bell will make a cha-ching sound, thus earning its nickname.
Fun Fact #9: Mall Santas Earn a Competitive Wage
Santa Claus in malls has competitive pay. They can earn a five-digit paycheck in six weeks of work since they attract many mall-goers along with their kids during the holidays, getting the malls filled with consumers.
Fun Fact #10: Popular Stores are Always on Top Floors
Popular stores are always placed on the top floor to create foot traffic. Another reason for this is marketing, with you entering the ground floor to go to your favorite shop or food place at the top floors gives you a chance to shop at other stores.
The world is constantly changing, moving forward to the digital world. The way consumers visit malls in the future will be different from how we use them now. The growth of online shops allows consumers to stay at home while shopping online for anything, like food, furniture, gadgets, and even access doors. Think about this the next time you visit a mall!
Comments
Post a Comment