Shopping Centres - Love them or Loathe Them

JupiterKid

Whith this "Black Friday" tomorrow and the rum up to the festive season, do you enjoy some retail therapy at the shopping centre.

It seems shopping centres are our new cathedrals and Dundrum is the complete Mecca.

I personally hate them. All the same shops, soulless and full of seeming vacuous shoppers strolling around. I like to just get in, get what what I want and just go. And Im not of the straight make persuasion. I can be thinking of far better things to do with my time.

But I know many people love going to the shopping centre and browsing. And it's just over 50 years since Ireland's first shopping centre opened in Stillorgan.

Thoughts?

Agricola

I like a half empty shopping centre on a weekday morning when you more or less have the place to yourself to get what you want and get out.

The rest of the time..........especially run up to Christmas...rather boil my head.

Aglomerado

I work beside one and no way would I go in there this time of year. The car park alone brings me out in a rash.

I hate the music they play in there as well.

PeterParker957

JupiterKid wrote: »

Whith this "Black Friday" tomorrow and the rum up to the festive season, do you enjoy some retail therapy at the shopping centre.

It seems shopping centres are our new cathedrals and Dundrum is the complete Mecca.

I personally hate them. All the same shops, soulless and full of seeming vacuous shoppers strolling around. I like to just get in, get what what I want and just go. And Im not of the straight make persuasion. I can be thinking of far better things to do with my time.

But I know many people love going to the shopping centre and browsing. And it's just over 50 years since Ireland's first shopping centre opened in Stillorgan.

Thoughts?

Agree wholeheartedly!

Loathe them!!!

Stonedpilot

Vapid soulless places. Dumdrum is the worst of them as it see's itself as 'posh' whilst still the clothes are made under sweatshop conditions only difference is you pay 10 times more for it than in Penny's

If you understand psychology or marketing it's amazing to see the subtle brainwashing that goes on. Val's segmentation system, hotspots, behaviourial analysis, psychometric analysis, gaze rate, foot fall comparisons etc etc etc that goes on in them.

People are seen as commodities like the products by the big marketing firms.

People are broken down into segments and then the segments broken down into more segments. Marketing is fascinating but quite cruel at the back of it. All based on how much you have and how we can entice it out of ya.

freshpopcorn

If I want to buy stuff from high street shops I much prefer a suburban shopping center than the city center.
Parking is often free.
I go at a time when is quite(It's hard to find this in a city).
People are generally there to shop and your not falling over business people or they are pushing past you.
No people sleeping in door ways.
Less likely to get wet.
Generally feel safer regarding pick pocket/etc.
I also like having a retail park beside center.

kenmc

unfortunately i live within about 3 km of dundrum sh1thole. Between now and new years any excursion must be planned with military precision to avoid being stuck in traffic.

I cannot for the life of me see any sort of pleasure whatsoever in being
- stuck in traffic at exit 13 trying to get off the motorway
- then stuck in traffic all the way down the ballinteer road to the car park
- then driving round and round in circles in the carpark looking for a space to park whilest watching every other driver in case they try to take your space.
- bumping and banging into people laden down with shopping bags trying to corral their kids to the next shop
- waiting in line to go try something on in the changing rooms
- waiting in line to try pay for something (both of these whilst listening to awful muzak and enduring the B.O. of the person before or behind you in the line who's been rushing around in a sweat for the last 4 hours)
- waiting in line to pay for your car parking, all the while watching the seconds to the next 'hour or portion thereof' ticking away rapidly while the muppets in front think that they are supposed to play fcukin tetris on the ticket machine.
- loading your shopping into your car while a hoard of vultures descend on your soon to be vacated parking space
- queuing to get out of the carpark

How in the name of jaysus is any of that in anyway part of an enjoyable experience?

King George VI

If you ever want to see pure entertainment go into the Ilac shopping center at any time on any day. Junkies and fat women everywhere.

freshpopcorn

kenmc wrote: »

unfortunately i live within about 3 km of dundrum sh1thole. Between now and new years any excursion must be planned with military precision to avoid being stuck in traffic.

I cannot for the life of me see any sort of pleasure whatsoever in being
- stuck in traffic at exit 13 trying to get off the motorway
- then stuck in traffic all the way down the ballinteer road to the car park
- then driving round and round in circles in the carpark looking for a space to park whilest watching every other driver in case they try to take your space.
- bumping and banging into people laden down with shopping bags trying to corral their kids to the next shop
- waiting in line to go try something on in the changing rooms
- waiting in line to try pay for something (both of these whilst listening to awful muzak and enduring the B.O. of the person before or behind you in the line who's been rushing around in a sweat for the last 4 hours)
- waiting in line to pay for your car parking, all the while watching the seconds to the next 'hour or portion thereof' ticking away rapidly while the muppets in front think that they are supposed to play fcukin tetris on the ticket machine.
- loading your shopping into your car while a hoard of vultures descend on your soon to be vacated parking space
- queuing to get out of the carpark

How in the name of jaysus is any of that in anyway part of an enjoyable experience?

Sounds similar to shopping in a city center as well!

kenmc

freshpopcorn wrote: »

Sounds similar to shopping in a city center as well!

Which i loathe just as much. Point still stands - what part of all of that is enjoyable?

freshpopcorn

kenmc wrote: »

Which i loathe just as much. Point still stands - what part of all of that is enjoyable?

I'm not sure. I only slightly like Shopping centers/city at a quiet time to look at Christmas stock or DIY stores.
I suppose some people like buying stuff.

DoozerT6

Good for convenience, as pretty much everything you need will be under one roof. I don't understand the city's collective horn for Dundrum however, it's pretty much the same as every other shopping centre with few exceptions - unless I was specifically looking for something in House of Fraser or Ted Baker (which has never happened lol) I wouldn't be bothered.

It is sad that shopping centres and big superstores have basically closed down small shops, many of whom have remained for several generations. I guess Mick's Electrical on Main St. just can't compete with Hardly Normal's for choice or price:(

freshpopcorn

DoozerT6 wrote: »

It is sad that shopping centres and big superstores have basically closed down small shops, many of whom have remained for several generations. I guess Mick's Electrical on Main St. just can't compete with Hardly Normal's for choice or price:(

Before the big supermarkets/pharmacy chains opened in my local town. Customer service in the local business was brutal/badly stocked/rude staff there was a lot more than just prices involved in my area.

Crea

Going from shop to shop while staying warm and dry AND free parking - love them.

bucketybuck

People, by and large, are dickheads.

Shopping centres are full of people. Stuffed with them.

So no, I don't like shopping centres.

5rtytry56

The "Property Management Company" organisations that run such complexes don't have time for the bespoke special interest shop either, anymore. That's why that such edifices look like Grafton Street, well, in Dundrum, Blanchardstown.
Then in less well off areas, they would rather a shop space remain empty with a sign like "Wonderful Opportunity for potential tenant".

kenmc

Crea wrote: »

Going from shop to shop while staying warm and dry AND free parking - love them.

Add in "beer beside you, roaring fire" and now you're talking online shopping. WAAAAY better experience.

ArnoldJRimmer

I associate shopping centres with sweating. When its freezing outside and people will generally wander in wearing winter clothes, why is the thermostat for the entire building set to 'summertime in Calcutta?'

One of many reasons why shopping centres bring out the worst in me. The crowds, the sh!tty music, the noise, the general discomfort of squeezing through shops, but mainly, the fcukin heat.

Absolutely despise the places

5rtytry56

The air conditioning might be on, but the space is too large for it to be effective. Also cluttering up the place are the fupping animated penguins and reindeer and the Santa hut.