I shop where I need something, when I need something. Spending a grand at the mall would be pretty hard for me to do. I doubt the “gifts” and “coupons” would be worth your while anyway because you probably have to buy something in order to get the gift or use the coupon. This sounds like a program for dopes.

Does anybody besides the young female blonde airheads really “shop” anymore? I’m with Tim. I know what I need. I know where to get it. I’m in. I’m out. I’m on with my life.

I agree with Tim. In high school, in our senior year we had a lock-in, and area restaurants donated food for the senior class. Most restaurants donated generously–whole pizzas, large servings of toasted ravioli, large sandwiches, etc. Then comes Steak & Shake. They donated $1.00 off coupons on future purchases! Wow–how generous! The kids threw them in the trash. I haven’t been back to Steak & Shake since graduation–almost 9 years ago.

When I need something, I buy it. I’m not typically motivated by coupons for future purchases.

Tim, you are right.

I can name off the top of my head at lease 100 different promotions for a strip mall that would work better than theirs The strip mall would make money and not spend it.

I built large subdivisions. My smallest was 40 acres, and my largest was 640 acres. Depending on the size of the subdivision I built an appropriate sized strip mall. including a appropriate sized parking to hold special events. To have me build for a particular client, and all others, they had to pay 2 percent of their gross profits for advertising and promotion.

As Two Examples; A car dealer who wanted to display his cars for a day, with special discounts could pay from 250.00 to $5,000. for a week.

The most successful promotion I have seen was a Dog dressed in Easter Wear with a $500.00 prize for the best dressed dog. $400. for the 2nd continuing down to $100 for the 5th place. It brought hundreds of dogs, and thousands of buyers who were curious.

Funny stuff.

Helloooo???
Women are all about the “gift with purchase.” The comments so far have been from men, who just don’t understand the concept. I think this will work for the malls. And no, I am not a young blonde.

wow, someone has issues with “Blonde’s that shop”, I am personally offended being a Blonde & someone who enjoys shopping. Maybe you Pat Carpenter need to look at why you write such hateful posts, what do you get out of being mean to people… Not all Blondes are airheads, thank you.. But you however have shown that you have some anger issues you need to check…. Maybe some shopping might do yoiu good, shopping for a better outlook on life perhaps.

Not an airheaf Blonde

My habits are similar to Tim’s, except that I often use teaser coupons (particularly at JCPenney) to buy necessities for my family. I normally avoid the traditional malls as if they were leper colonies.

That said, I’m all for PR in a tight market–malls that start loyalty programs differentiate themselves from others, especially important since they mostly have the same retail mix. And I have no problem with people choosing to spend their money frivolously, so long as I’m not paying for it. But characterizing that choice as patriotic is an insult to anyone who ever served in the Armed Forces, and especially to those risking their lives now.

If I can get away with it, I buy things online most of the time.

The free gift the online shops offer is the gift of getting your time back to spend somewhere not in a crowded mall.

I always shop with the coupons and percent offs. I am a bargain hunter. This could work; people can very easily spend a grand on 365 days especially the holiday times. And Pat…I AM blonde and I know how to shop to get the best deals at the best times during these lousy times. DO YOU?? Obviously not. How do you get your clothes and necessities? From your wife obviously!

I thought Pat was a female. Nice assumption…but not surprising for a blond.

I haven’t set foot inside of a mall in at least 5 years. Nothing could entice me to break that record.

I avoid the malls at all costs and shop for most of my clothes at thrift stores. Everything else I buy from independently ownly, not chain businesses or companies that have a community attitude. When I need a gift, I call on my artist friends or make something myself. They aren’t called a mall for nothing.

The gift with purchase (GWP) is a gimmick to get you to spend another $10/20/100 (ever notice the minimum purchase is just a little more than the most common product price point) because you think you are getting something “free”??

Therefore the GWP, nor any other incentive, could influence me to shop at a mall or big box store. In fact, I do not shop at these stores at all unless absolutely necessary to get a product unavailble at a locally owned store. The reason is the for every $1 spent at a chain or franchize business, only 17 cents stays in the local economy. The same dollar spent at a locally-owned business keeps 75% (75 cents) in the local community.

What is most horrifying is that this woman actually thinks it is patriotic to overconsume at multi-national retailers in shopping centers owned by non-local developers. She is even so clueless about her actions, she repeats the soundbite. It is ripe for an SNL skit: Midle aged, overweight, suburban woman in dowdy clothing with frumpy handbag spends $1000 at generic mall to get free $7 deep fried appetizers at chain restaraunt and prove she is a “Patriotic American”. It would be funny if it weren’t true.

I’d reccommend she see the docu-comedy coming out later this year by Morgan Spurlock (Supersize Me) called What Would Jeasus Buy. And, if she is going to shop, she might check out BUILD St. Louis (www.buildstlouis.com) and start actually helping the local economy by shopping local.

Put a couple Tattoo parlors in every mall.

You’d have more of these young morons flocking in

than you could handle….

On a serious note…..I’d like to see more armed mall cops.

Nude fashion models for store clerks wouldn’t entice me to shop at a mall. If you see me in a shopping mall, it’s because there’s a hail storm outside.

I agree as well that I only go somewhere when I need something, and probably would not spend $1000+ in specialty stores (and of course there’s the catch for big ticket items). Especially the way gas prices are now along with the state of the economy I can’t afford to waste time or money on overpriced things. (Promotions can sometimes be skimpy anyway and not worth it.) I also think that because of gas and the low dollar people are being much more conservative with their money. Rarely do I feel like I need to buy new, and just notice how much more popular places like Goodwill are now.

Pat Carpenter needs an over haul on his attitude.It’s now nice to be mean and if you get too mean we can ask the moderator to take your comment off….ask Dale Singer!!

I mean NOT nice to be mean

“It is ripe for an SNL skit: Midle aged, overweight, suburban woman in dowdy clothing with frumpy handbag spends $1000 at generic mall to get free $7 deep fried appetizers at chain restaraunt and prove she is a “Patriotic American”.”

WOW…. what a classy statement by Lori Allen. We can’t make an intelligent comment, so we’ll just attack someone on their appearance. Nice. What a wonderful attitude to hand down to our children. It’s people like that who make me love my dog.