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Retrograde

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60. Many US cities had local department stores

Mon May 26, 2025, 10:32 PM

Monday

I'm too late to remember I. Magnin and City of Paris in San Francisco, but when I was growing up in Buffalo there were several large local department stores, some of which tried to adapt by opening branches in malls. They're all gone now, as are most of the malls.

Amazon its merits, but it's not what I call shopping: it's buying. Every so often I want to just go to a bunch of shops and look at what they have to offer, and maybe even buy something that I can see and touch.

As for converting old malls to housing - I've yet to see one that has decent lighting - aside from outdoor ones

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Clouds Passing

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There is a large mostly abandoned shopping center near where I live. [View all] Takket Friday OP

They paved paradise put up a parking lot. Joni Mitchell Ping Tung Friday #1

COVID homegirl Friday #5

Tesla/Musk..... magicarpet Friday #2

There are dead malls all over the place and one is near me Warpy Friday #3

I saw a video where they were converting some mall spaces to apartments. forgotmylogin Friday #17

I am very impressed -- sounds like a lot of thought went into its conversion. nt Hekate Friday #22

How cool! ShazzieB Friday #28

That sounds FANTASTIC!!! What a way to reimagine that space! calimary Saturday #35

Thanks for sharing Auggie Saturday #53

Personally, I think the rise of online shopping had a great deal to do with the demise of malls. CTyankee Friday #20

I have to disagree Warpy Friday #30

Sears and Roebuck was mail order in a vastly different time. The Internet offers dazzling choices that the Sears catalog CTyankee Friday #32

Malls didn't last because they lost their big anchor stores Warpy Friday #34

I wonder why those big anchor stores left the malls in the first place. CTyankee Saturday #37

"I wonder why those big anchor stores left the malls in the first place." BumRushDaShow Saturday #45

Montgomery Ward Clouds Passing Saturday #49

Well Macy's was in the Wanamaker building until near the end of March of this year and that was that BumRushDaShow Saturday #52

I remember the sparkly enchanting Christmas tree in the grand entry. Clouds Passing Sunday #55

They still had that BumRushDaShow Sunday #56

Many US cities had local department stores Retrograde Monday #60

I enjoy the touchy feely of shopping in a store. You can't get that at an Amazon. Clouds Passing Yesterday #61

Greed. (n/t) OldBaldy1701E Saturday #38

Indoor shopping malls were never sustainable IbogaProject Friday #23

I don't know if malls would have survived regardless mdbl Saturday #39

I worked in one briefly in 1986 IbogaProject Saturday #43

Ditto Cosmocat Saturday #44

Look at the Tons DENVERPOPS Saturday #50

Amazon didn't help. They made it too easy to buy online. OMGWTF Saturday #51

Interesting to see what abandoned shopping malls are converted to IronLionZion Friday #4

Retail Is History! - At Deadmalls.com hatrack Friday #6

that is an interesting link NJCher Friday #14

Caldor, good lord... róisín_dubh Saturday #36

I lived at the Caldor's that had opened near me in the the '90s BumRushDaShow Saturday #54

One that I used to patronize Jilly_in_VA Friday #8

in southern California, dead malls are rebuilt as malls... with apartments complexes attached. Demovictory9 Sunday #57

howdi AllaN01Bear Friday #11

Catholic churches? RicROC Saturday #48

And those spaces are relatively affordable IronLionZion Monday #59

as a teen i had to be bribed to do the mall. everything is the same. pansypoo53219 Friday #7

Probably thought it looked better for their inventory ToxMarz Friday #9

in my area, indoor malls are dying, but outdoor malls are thriving.... getagrip_already Friday #10

sell them for scrap value. AllaN01Bear Friday #12

When Musk talks about Tesla corporate performance... CaptainTruth Friday #13

I live in a heavily Democratic district, and yet... cab67 Friday #15

Our mall will soon be a casino. twodogsbarking Friday #16

no Elon stickers everywhere NJCher Friday #18

See, and I think those cars should be placed in the parking lot, out in the open ... aggiesal Friday #19

This is a great idea, but there are complications. Shipwack Friday #26

It can be done, look at this link posted in this same thread ... aggiesal Friday #29

This message was self-deleted by its author NJCher Friday #21

clever criminals will strip the batteries out of the cars soon. give it time. nt Javaman Friday #24

Safer there than outside where idiots will attempt to vandalize them MichMan Friday #25

The OP says that the cars are in the lot. niyad Saturday #40

Correct, it does MichMan Saturday #41

Musk foolishly threw his lot in with Trump PJMcK Friday #27

I was expecting it to have become a homeless camp... ananda Friday #31

Tesla's stock price is up on the news D_Master81 Friday #33

I love... GiqueCee Saturday #42

Photos we need PHOTOS! justaprogressive Saturday #46

I've often wondered if all these abandoned malls could be converted to public housing. travelingthrulife Saturday #47

Before the one I used to patronize was razed Jilly_in_VA Sunday #58