Mall That Time Forgot Discovered in Remote Urban Area
Rare find shocks retail experts
Utility workers stumbled on a traditional, fully operational shopping mall in a remote corner of Pennsylvania. Thought to be extinct, the discovery of the shopping center offers hope that other malls may be thriving in out-of-the-way parts of the country.
Following their shock discovery, the workers alerted retail experts of the find. The experts were delighted and are now on the scene studying the surviving mall.
Their preliminary findings suggest that although its remoteness helped the mall to survive, other factors have rendered it immune to the industry carnage that drove urban shopping centers to extinction.
For example, shoppers at the mall smile at each other and appear to be very friendly. Antiquated local conditions have also contributed to the mall’s hardiness. An example is a local ordinance that packages are not allowed to be left on domestic doorsteps. The practice is considered rude. Also, delivery drivers are expected to be neatly attired in white uniforms and clean-shaven, and to hand over packages personally with a smile and a humorous anecdote. This requirement has deterred online shopping from taking hold in the area.
Still, the discovery does not mean that the mall species could make a comeback nationally. Experts note that since there are no plans to develop the mall or replicate it elsewhere, the lack of offspring will prevent it from migrating to other areas.
The location of the mall is being kept secret to protect it from predatory developers and bargain hunters.
K. B. Cottrill writes fiction, non-fiction, and things in-between. Ken@cottrillcom.com
