Retro Shopping

If Amazon has enough pictures of your front porch to fill a photo album, then it is time to schedule some retro shopping!

Shopping online may seem convenient, but is it really? Here are five reasons to rediscover the joy of analog shopping.

1. Get a total sensory experience. See, touch, and smell stuff. Feel the weight and softness of the fabric. No more being disappointed with stiff sheets, pants thin enough to show off your underwear, or towels rough enough to take off the first layer of your skin. Try on to get the perfect fit. Smell and test perfume before you invest in a bottle of something you can’t stand to smell after 30 minutes on your skin.
2. No worries or waiting. Is your delivery on time or coming on a slow boat from who knows where? Will the delivery person leave your package in the pouring rain? Did your box arrive with a big dent in it? Does your item show mysterious signs of being repackaged? Skip all that and enjoy what you need today!
3. They still have real people who work in stores. Most are pretty friendly and happy to help you. No more chatbots or phone-tree hell.
4. No hassle returns, no more going to the shipping store. With your saved receipt (helpful hint), go to a counter with a real person. Even if they are grumpy from dealing with grumpy people, if you are pleasant, chances are you will make their day and they will be pleasant in return (pun intended 😉).
5. Add some more social interaction to your day. Who will you meet? Every time (no exaggeration) I am in a store, I always end up chatting and/or assisting a total stranger. Example: Last month we were in Hobby Lobby and stopped to look at mechanical pencils. As we compared the different options, a boy around 9 years old started talking to us. “Hi. I am an artist and can tell you that this one is my favorite. The lead doesn’t break very much and I can draw really good with it.” We notice his mom is not far away, watching and smiling. After a ten-minute chat about pencils and his art endeavors, we thanked him for sharing his expertise and walked away with several of his recommended pencils and delighted hearts.

Gen Z has the right idea: bring back the malls! Back in the late 80s (can’t believe that was 40 years ago!) going to the mall was entertainment. You could spend the afternoon looking at stuff you may or may not need, talking to people, walking in air-conditioned comfort (important in Texas), and grabbing a snack and maybe even a movie. It was a safe and comfortable place to get in your steps (back in the day we just called this ‘walking’.)

Here is my list of memorable stores:

• San Francisco Music Box Company
• Musicland
• Waldenbooks
• The Nature Company (first place I heard Enya sing about sailing away)
• Things Remembered (everything personalized/engraved)
• Hallmark Store
• The Sharper Image (a great place for Father’s Day gifts)
• Warner Bros Studio Store (“Shhh. Be vewy, vewy quiet, I’m hunting wabbits.” Elmer Fudd)
• Spencer Gifts (home of black lights, velvet posters, and fake barf)
• Sears (once THE place to buy appliances)
• Eddie Bauer (best sweatshirts EVER)
• Orange Julius
• Great American Cookie Company
• Gloria Jean’s Coffee
• Auntie Anne’s pretzels
• Chick-fil-A
• Panda Express

Are you in on the return of retro shopping? Leave a comment to share your favorite mall memory!

The ultimate mall music? “Never Gonna Give You Up” by Rick Astley, 1987.

“As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.” Colossians 3:12