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Just a quick thought I had about outlet malls. Do you think they have the same negative effect on downtowns like enclosed malls do? Most outlet malls I know are tourist destinations. The jobs created by outlet malls are for mostly high schooler kids needing work. Any thoughts?
Its really the free market at work that gives consumers lowest prices which is now its supposed to work. Anyone being able to set prices without competition is bad. Don't know where you live but mostly adults at outlet malls I have been to.
Well suburbs will have their box store shopping as well. If you live in a big enough city, people don't want to drive 30-60mins to downtown just to go to a box store.
Yes they are more bad then good. They promote urban sprawl and auto-centric development and are far away from the urban core and not accessible to mass transit.
Yes they are more bad then good. They promote urban sprawl and auto-centric development and are far away from the urban core and not accessible to mass transit.
Second sentence is kind of overly broad, although it's true that the existence of urban sprawl does promote urban sprawl so I can't really argue against that. Urban sprawl is, however, pretty necessary especially in the Western US where our population has grown tremendously. It probably isn't necessary in other parts of the country that haven't had any significant growth in the past 100 years though.
Usually, they're pretty far removed from the urban core. Seattle's outlets, for example, are at the far ends of the metro area (or even altogether outside of it). Downtown has the actual chains. For example, COACH is in the downtown area. The geographical separation helps maintain the brand integrity despite the diffusion line products carried in outlets. Ultimately, that actually HELPS downtown shopping since the brand integrity is maintained while creating exposure and volume that increase profits. That's actually why outlets are located where they are. It keeps firm lines between the diffusion products and the retail products. Offering the brand-sanctioned "cheap Chinese knockoffs" in the same store would look bad, but if it's contained 30-40 miles away in an outlet mall which everyone knows is mostly selling nothing but brand-sanctioned "cheap Chinese knockoffs." that confusion isn't created.
On one hand, I can see the outlet mall being developed into something better like a business park with higher paying jobs or affordable housing which is scarce in the coastal parts of CA. There aren't many clothing stores in the area too, but it'd be hard now for a locally owned store to open up since most everyone goes to the outlet mall to clothing shop.
Outlet malls tend to either essentially be the exact same thing as enclosed malls except nicer in good weather and worse in bad when large and well-funded or to be glorified strip malls when not. Either way the pros and cons of them from a broader perspective are pretty similar to whichever of the non-outlet-mall-equivalents they are replacing.
Outlet malls tend to either essentially be the exact same thing as enclosed malls except nicer in good weather and worse in bad when large and well-funded or to be glorified strip malls when not. Either way the pros and cons of them from a broader perspective are pretty similar to whichever of the non-outlet-mall-equivalents they are replacing.
so they pay workers low and put local businesses out
Outlet malls tend to either essentially be the exact same thing as enclosed malls except nicer in good weather and worse in bad when large and well-funded or to be glorified strip malls when not. Either way the pros and cons of them from a broader perspective are pretty similar to whichever of the non-outlet-mall-equivalents they are replacing.
There is another primary difference. Conventional enclosed malls or strip malls tend to be located close to population centers. In contrast outlet malls tend to be located where it's convenient for the retailer from a supply-chain standpoint. Thus they tend to be in areas more remote from population, but convenient to freight lines. Prices can be low in part because the last element of the distribution chain is outsourced to the consumer.
I don't think the future of outlet malls is particularly bright. People shop at them almost entirely for the perceived low prices, given the actual shopping experience is very inconvenient and pretty no-frills. Over time I expect online retail to replace nearly the entire market. Some standalone "showcase" factory outlets, like Ethan Allen, Yankee Candle, etc, will survive as tourist draws however.
so they pay workers low and put local businesses out
Where do you get that from? What makes you think "Mom and Pop's" pay the workers more, or have better benefits? I don't think any of these malls are driving out local businesses, either.
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