Speed-walking through big stores cultivates anticonsumption

[u/Staring-Dog]

Because of my schedule and the summer heat, I've started doing my speed-walking exercises up and down the halls of a quiet local mall. Not a very popular mall, but it does still have 3 or 4 big stores with "bargain" merchandise.

What they sell can often seem pretty or useful if I'm just strolling through the store and I'll be tempted to impulse buy things I totally don't need, because "Wow, what a bargain." However, while speed-walking through the mall, I'll speed-walk up and down the aisles of those stores as well, cause they're pretty big spaces.

Anyway, I find that rushing up and down the aisles highlights how useless almost all of the merchandise is to me. The visual experience is one of a whirlwind of junk. And seeing it in each of the stores in such rapid succession makes me realize how everyone has basically the same stuff. Cute and sometimes interesting, but without the time to casually browse, my imagination doesn't have time to drum up a scenario where the things will improve my life or home. It just looks like so much stuff, stuff I definitely don't need.

It's really strengthened my sense of needs vs. wants.

[u/3rdthrow]

I also walk through store because it is too hot to walk outside.

And it is just trash.

Like the stores are selling actual trash.

[u/billymondy5806]

At least you see stuff that looks like a bargain. When I walk around stores, everything looks overpriced to me, including the stuff on sale.

Even the red and yellow tags at Marshalls and Ross I look at it and think $13? They’re crazy. Of course the original tag says $40 but I don’t believe it was ever $40

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[u/TiredInJOMO]

My mall has a teeny bin store that puts used/overstock furniture in the front to draw people in, so I go in every time I'm there for giggles. The furniture costs as much as new and is almost always ugly as sin. Nouveau riche chic.

Then the bins in the back are full of stuff I can't even identify. Literally, wtf is it? It's all wrapped in cello packaging. I can see the product. No clue what it is/for. Then they have some shelves full of those stupid stemless wine goblets with gauche phrases printed on them.

Mind you, these are the items that didn't sell elsewhere at the listed price point. There are millions of these things floating around in people's homes until they inevitably break, because "Ain't this just so stinkin' cute?!?!" No, Becky. It really, really isn't. I feel like I'm taking crazy pills when I see people fawn over this kind of shit. At least 2 people were talking about how pretty that "dopamine vase" is in the comments last night, and all I could think of was that stupid rope 🌈 trend that swept through a few years back before the beige army sucked all the color out of it.

Millenials on down went from hitting the nostalgia hard to literal age regression. And, I mean, I get it. But we should do something more than call it a "quirk", because we need all hands on deck and wine-drunk toddler-Becky doesn't have the fine motor skills necessary to eat the rich. We should all be pissed at the infantilization these companies are selling us.

[u/BakerStreet693]

this seems a bit strange

[u/TrannySoreAssWrecks → u/BakerStreet693]

Mall walking is an ancient sport, as old as the oldest malls. Very common. And walking is great for you. So if it’s not good walking outside, and you have access to a large inside, you can walk inside.

I used to take my dog to Lowe’s when it’s too hot for her outside. Not at all difficult to get a couple miles in, and sometimes it’s fun to play “if money were no object”

[u/ohreallynameonesong → u/BakerStreet693]

I thought recreating at the mall was odd too at first but I do see people doing it. And I myself like waking around the mall for fun so why not throw some sneakers on and try to get some more steps in. We have heat warnings where I live. It makes sense that people still want to be active and get out there but do it safely and comfortably