Non-shopping malls

In a recent article, my teacher writes

What makes people rush to these malls? Why do they undergo so much trouble only to purchase those items which are anyway available in their neighbourhood stores? – these are wrong questions to ask in today’s times.

These days the progress and development of the cities are miscalculated as the number of malls sprouting up in every locality. The prices of the real estate are determined by its distance from the nearest mall. As byproduct, there are traffic jams! There are hours of load shedding in the neighborhood while the malls remain bright and cold with lights and air conditioners! And there are long lines of water at nearby chawl while the mall floors and glasses are washed everyday!

In an experiment conducted recently, I calculated the ratio of people carrying shopper bags in these malls, to the people who have not purchased anything. I stood at the top floor smiling at my observation! Most people visit malls just for the sake of it. Except for the discount sells and festival seasons, these malls are deprived of ‘buyers’ due to exorbitant prices, even though they appear crowded. The food courts are less crowded than the neighborhood restaurants serving idli-vada. The failure of these malls to do business is more and more obvious these days. They either fail to kick-start or to withstand the pressures exerted by the new players!