I am in a store. Lets say Target. It is around 3 in the afternoon. Hunger is coming and coming quick. I stroll around the food isle, and pick up more snacks than I need. In my hand is already several pieces of clothing that I really didn't need, but somehow I ended up with. Next thing you know I have spent $70 on things I do not need, and want to return later. Buyers remorse hits the next day and it feels worse than a sugar hangover.
No more.
The stress, impulse, and overthinking that goes on in department stores is exactly why I have reverted to shopping online in the comfort of my home. I can put things in my cart and take them out.
Contemplating and analyzing whether or not I really need what I am purchasing helps me not spend money I don't have. Sometimes I have had clothes in my shopping cart online for a week or more to decide whether or not I need it. Usually, I don't need the sweater from American Eagle. I need to have enough money to pay for food and rent.
Online shopping gives me all the time I need. There is no rush. I can do it from anywhere, in class or even at the gym.
Most stores offer free shipping. Amazon Prime members can get packages within two days. As long as these companies keep up the free shipping and discount offers online- I may never set foot in a department store again.
I know I am not alone. Malls all over America are closing, and the big department stores are going with them. Thousands of stores have gone bankrupt. It wouldn't surprise me if in the next ten years Malls became a thing of the past.
No more awkward encounters with mall employees asking if I need anything. No more taking six items or less into the dressing rooms. No more buying something simply become it is on sale.
Online shopping is changing the game.
Purchasing things online has become more than just purchasing clothes for me. I lived in a dorm this year. My car was parked in Timbuktu. It took me a solid thirty minutes to walk to my car. This put a damper on wanting to go anywhere on the weekends.
Buying toothpaste, shampoo, and other basic stuff from Walmart was an all-day affair. Amazon Prime's free two-day shipping was looking very appealing to me. Once I started purchasing my toothpaste on Amazon, and I don't think I am going to go back. I can purchase anything in less than five minutes from the comfort of my bed and it will be here within 72 hours.
Online grocery shopping also has its perks. I can be watching the next episode of 'The Office' while purchasing my groceries online. After I purchase the groceries I pick a time to pick up my groceries. No looking around the store for items I can't find. Both Kroger and Walmart now offer this option, and I have to say it is one that has made my life simpler.
I am saying money by buying my groceries online too. When I go to the store I always end up buying things I don't need, or things that are not on my list. When I buy online I only purchase exactly what is on my list.
The sad part of this shift is that hundreds of people are losing their jobs at malls and retail stores. This is the price American's pay for getting the exact products they want faster. With the outing of malls, we will also lose a piece of American culture.
Growing up I loved going to the mall to watch people, hang out with friends, and get some great fashion deals. Young kids and teenagers used to hang out in malls all over the country. Think of the watering hole scene in Mean Girls. It was a place that youths congregated, and now most malls are almost empty each time I go.
Online shopping is convenient and perfectly packaged for busy lifestyles. I predict that in the next couple of years, the decline of malls across America will have an impact on our economy. Who knows maybe my theory is wrong. Maybe department stores are not a thing of the past, and you are just not buying this.
