UNITED STATES—I was recently at my local mall doing a bit of shopping and I was a bit surprised by the things that I saw. You might be thinking what am I referencing? I’m not talking about the foot traffic. Not talking about the parking. Not talking about the prices. I’m talking about the retailers. It seems whenever I make the journey to the mall, a retailer that was previously at the establishment is no longer there.

I mean a retailer I frequented because it was easy to handle my mobile bill out of nowhere is gone. Not just the doors closed, but the sign has been taken down as well. It is like more and more retailers are closing at many local malls and it raises a concern: is the mall nearing death? I mean I know rent inside some of these gigantic malls is probably expensive, but is it that expensive to the point that it is forcing many retailers to close their brick and mortar establishments?

I do believe that is a possibility for the smaller businesses that are not massive titans known by everyone and see a constant influx of customers on a daily or weekly basis. I’ll be honest more people are visiting the mall during the weekends compared to the weekday. Why? Hmm, let’s see, most retailers don’t have sales during the week. They always kick off near the weekend, some on Thursday, most start on Friday and that makes sense as you prepare for that crowd and you want to incentivize them to enter with discounts.

The bigger problem is we’ve become lazy as a society. Everyone just loves purchasing everything online. It is like why leave the house when you don’t have to? Hmm, let’s see, to actually see and talk to people. To actually move your body and become active, not just sitting on your couch with your phone ordering items. Thank you Amazon, thank you so much for making Americans lazier by the minute!

I swear it will be a sad day to see all of the malls we currently have disappear because you will be forced to purchase things online only. That’s a problem. Why? You cannot see it, you cannot touch it, you cannot wear it. You’re relying on a picture, a picture is just that a picture. It is not the same as seeing that actual item in person, so you can touch it, feel it and see if it is exactly what you want it to be.

I guess that might be one of the reasons I prefer NOT TO SHOP ON AMAZON because I want my money to go to local businesses and retailers that are struggling to keep their doors open. In addition, I want to see, touch and feel the product I’m buying. Also I don’t want to have to wait to pick up that item either. Why make Jeff Bezos richer than he already is? Hell, the prices at Amazon are not that cheaper than anywhere else. The only benefit is they purchase just about everything so if there is something you want you can find it. You might save a penny or two by choosing Amazon, but is it truly worth it to end some of your favorite retailers.

I just don’t understand why people are not open to the idea of hitting the mall. Perhaps you don’t like the crowds? That is understandable, and if that’s the case visit your local mall earlier in the day when it is not as busy. This gives you an opportunity to see what is out there and just have something to do beyond staying at home. Just because something is convenient doesn’t mean we should make it a habit. Get some interaction with random strangers, build your communication skills and learn that there is more to the local mall then just spending money. You get the opportunity to experience new retailers, new people and get movement.