The editor’s re-published an article from the Scranton Times Tribune entitled “For America’s malls, an uphill fight” which relates:
“People don’t shop the way they used to. A trip to the mall was the better part of a day. Mothers with kids in tow visited department stores, bought a book to read or music to listen to, purchased toys or some clothing for the children, then perhaps ate a meal at a restaurant or in the food court. But in today’s busy world with so many single parents or dual-income households, ‘malingering,’ a term coined by author William Severini Kowinski in his 2002 book ‘Malling of America,’ is increasingly rare.
” ‘Time-starved modern shoppers venture out and buy intentionally, going to Bed Bath & Beyond for a bed spread seen in a recent newspaper circular and then going home. The idea of wandering around a mall, or even a department store – though it may result in impulse purchases or cross-shopping – doesn’t appeal to today’s shoppers, said Tom Maddux, a principal with commercial real estate firm, KLMB, in Towson, Md.
” ‘The decline of malls is a story that is 10 to 15 years old. They’ve been unwinding for a long time,’ he said. ‘Cross-shopping is not a destination.’ ”
WATCHDOG: Two wags of the tail to the Sunday News for bringing the article to the attention of its Lancaster readers.
NewsLanc has cautioned over the years that Park City could be endangered through proliferation of shopping center competition resulting from re-zoning of land to commercial use.
Shopping center developers make their money by selling after a few years. As competitive shopping centers are built, major retail chains cannot afford to be left out and open another outlet. Over time they non-renew their older locations.
As the most desirable tenants leave, the malls become less attractive to shoppers, soon there are vacancies, and a downward spiral begins.
If a tipping point is reached, Park City could suddenly present as great or greater problem than those that downtown Lancaster suffered as the retail business moved to the suburbs. What possible second use could it be put too? Would it become a public nuisance? What about all of the lost tax revenue?
The decline of malls is happening elsewhere. Let’s not allow it to occur here. The consequences are too great.
Amazing how LNP always manages to get a plug in for themselves in an article…..citing buying something from a store based on a newspaper ad/coupon….such self-promotion is very unflattering.
I suppose the underlying intent of this is to encourage more downtown shopping…just don’t use any bathrooms downtown and flush undesirables down the toilet!!!!
I see that the price has now increased to $2….must need to pay for the new executive publisher.