5. Neighborhood stores versus shopping malls
As society changes over the years, new ways of doing almost everything have developed, including shopping. Neighborhood stores and shopping malls are the two places where most people make the majority of their purchases. Both are basically places at which to buy things, but some interesting differences become apparent when these two types of shopping places are compared.
Unlike the shopping mall, the neighborhood store is not a new phenomenon. Local stores and shops were always an essential part of the fabric of the neighborhood. Each neighborhood had its own grocery store, meat market, cleaners, shoe repair, hardware store, auto repair shop and other services needed to meet the needs of the people living in the area.
As the population increased, neighborhoods grew larger and housing became more dense. Apartment houses and other multi-family dwellings appeared. Large numbers of people moved from urban neighborhoods to large commercial housing tracts outside the city hubs. These large commercial housing areas were usually composed of a mix of multi-family and single-family dwellings. A few were large and exclusive, but most contained acres of identical apartment buildings.
As the number of people living outside the cities increased, shopping malls began to appear to meet their shopping needs. Most shopping malls were large and centrally located to take advantage of as many surrounding housing developments for potential customers as possible. The design usually included one or two large anchor department stores, a large grocery store, eateries, and a wide variety of stores offer clothing, shoes, and other sundries. Most people would drive to the closest large shopping mall in their area for groceries, cleaning, and other personal needs.
Much of the move to suburban areas was spurred by the overcrowding, rising crime, deteriorating conditions, and other qual...