Joshua sent us this link to the Google Maps aerial view of a Target store in Alexandria, Va. There’s something to be said for branding, advertising, and taking advantage of unused space, but maybe a giant bulls-eye isn’t the logo to start with.
malls
By 3.18.09
../../../..//2009/03/18/sprightly-old-people-rock-this/
Sprightly old people rock. This 78-year-old woman pursued and helped catch an armed robber in the parking lot of a mall on Long Island, NY. You can’t hide from old ladies in a PC Richard, purse snatchers of the world. [Newsday]
As The Recession Deepens, The Mall Of America Says It's Doing Fine
By 2.3.09
The New York Times says there are about 1,500 malls in the US and many of them are in trouble. They’re being converted to office buildings or closing their doors for good. And yet, Minnesota’s Mall of America is allegedly doing fine.
Proactiv Saleswoman Goes Insane When You Try To Return The Product
By 9.27.08
Amanda just had a frightening experience with the woman at the Proactiv kiosk in her hometown of Hattiesburg, Mississippi: “[Mall security] told me to come over and get away from her because she would not stop yelling, and refusing to do anything until I was out of her sight.” [Update: we’ve received more information on who to contact to resolve this issue. Check out the bottom of the post for details.]
Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory Gives You A Rotten Apple, Then Calls Security
By 8.5.08
Reader Nohreen says she bought an apple from Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory and it turned out to be rotten inside. When she called the store to complain, they told her it wasn’t rotten, just brown from having been cut awhile ago. Nohreen said she’d bring the apple back to show them that it was actually rotten, but they told her not to waste her gas because there was nothing they could do about it. When she got to the store, rather than help her, she says the employees called security.
Smell Cookie, Spend Loosely
By 7.30.08
On a tight budget and using equal parts willpower and behavior self-modification? Stay away from the cookie places in the mall. The September 2008 issue of ShopSmart says studies show that even just catching a whiff of your favorite treat can increase your urge to splurge.
Mommy Needs A New Pair Of Stimulus Shoes
By 6.12.08
Upgrade: Travel Better blogger Mark Ashley sends in this ad he spotted at the Oak Hollow Mall in High Point North Carolina, exhorting shoppers to use their stimulus payments in a selfish splurge on depreciating assets.
Milfs Mortified By Urban Outfitters' Bawdry Books
By 5.6.08
Marci Milfs was appalled to see risque books being sold at her local Urban Outfitters store in Lynwood, Washington. According to The Herald, she was out clothes-shopping with her son when she came across the racy books. The titles included, “Pornogami: A Guide to the Ancient Art of Paper-Folding for Adults,” a how-to for making anatomically correct paper artwork and “Porn for Women,” a photo book showing men doing housework. Details, inside…
AT&T Won't Sell You iPhone Because "You're Going To Unlock It"
By 3.10.08
Colin writes:
I went into my nearest ATT store and there were two CSR’s behind the counter- I asked for an 8gig Refurb iPhone thats being sold for $249 and the kid said sure and walked me over to the desk. The next words out of his mouth “What is your social security number?” No “How are you today?” “Thanks for coming in” No, apparently they just want my credit report to see if I am “worthy”
Dell Closing All U.S. Dell Direct Kiosks, Effective Immediately
By 1.30.08
There was a rumor going around since last night that Dell was shuttering its 140 mall kiosks nationwide in another wave of belt-tightening. Now it’s official: “Dell Inc. will close its 140 kiosks in the U.S. as the computer maker is changing its retail strategy to sales in partnering stores.
Attention Shoppers: Please Report For Jury Duty
By 1.13.08
A Vermont judge sent his sheriff to the mall to round up a jury that could fairly try a child molester.
They stopped passers-by and asked if they were residents of Caledonia County; a “yes” answer won a summons to appear at the courthouse for jury duty immediately, right now, this minute. They rounded up 45 people that way in all, to join the 34 already at the courthouse.
Thieves Steal 42" Plasma TV From Mall During Shopping Hours
By 12.31.07
Those post-holiday TV sales just aren’t enough for some people, because somehow, a 42″ plasma set used for display in a retail store in Albany, Georgia, was stolen from the counter during business hours.
Brothers Hand Out $100 Bills At Mall On Christmas Eve
By 12.27.07
Shoppers who went to the mall at Massapequa, Long Island on Christmas Eve were surprised by two middle-aged guys who were randomly handing out cash to passers-by. Mall security called the police on them (sigh), but ultimately the guys were left alone to distribute their money to people as they entered the mall.
CNN Wants You To Be Very Afraid Of Parking Lots
By 12.21.07
CNN has a hilarious article about shopping safety that you should certainly read before you hit the mall this weekend for last-minute gifts. We’re all for safety, but according to this article, letting your senior citizen wander off from the rest of the family is like like tying a fawn to a skateboard and pushing it into a den of lions: “He has to be at least 75 or 80 years old. Now, he’s a potential victim.”
What’s Wrong With Sears?
By 11.29.07
Sears’ earnings are down 99% and there’s really no denying that something is going wrong with the retailer. Same store sales, the most important indicator of the health of a store, fell 4.2 percent in the third quarter.
Living At The Mall: Now For Rich People
By 11.28.07
A new trend is poised to sweep the country: living at the mall. Developers are building luxury condos attached to malls, and at one in the Boston suburbs, they’re selling for $420k to $1.6 million. Some people like the idea of being able to stroll downstairs and go to Nordstrom’s and Neiman Marcus. Others think that it gives them a taste of their conception of what constitutes urban life. Hey, at least there’s ample parking.
