Rivertown Crossings-Mall Post

I stopped home this weekend after finishing work. My hometown, Hudsonville, is located approximately fifteen minutes from Rivertown Crossings Mall. Although my voyage to Rivertown wasn’t the first, I still noticed some things I haven’t seen before inside the walls of the shopping center.

Walking towards one of the mall’s many entrances, you will notice a interesting two story exterior. The shape of the façade seemed to mimic a stucco-faced village located in a much warmer climate then Michigan’s. The buildings rooflines provide a visual appeal to your eye. When you walk into the mall, you’ll notice lots of tile, stone and glass used for the building’s materials. I noticed that the mall was designed to look like a tropical getaway. Somewhere you would go to get away from stress.

Chatter, and large crowds seem to portray an opposing effect. Business and relaxation both compete for attention from shoppers. Somehow I felt disoriented despite knowing the location of the majority of the stores inside. During my trip I visited Dick’s Sporting Goods to look for a new leather belt for squatting. I found a belt that I liked, but the price I did not like.

 I pulled out my smartphone to cross check prices online on amazon. It took less then a minute to find the exact same belt priced lower online. I decided to hold off on my purchase because I wasn’t willing to pay the price for a new belt when Calvin’s worn out belt still did the job for me. I decided to buy my own personal belt once my waist shrinks a few inches from cutting season in around a month. In "The Persuaders" they talk about advertising in a way that persuades the consumer to persuade themselves into thinking they need a certain product. This technique failed on my, but I could defiantly tell how this technique would work on consumers less willing to do research and wait to buy something

I got the feeling that people pay higher prices at Dick’s for the stereotype of being a jock. If you wear Nike to Dick’s and you walk out with a bag, everyone assumes you’re an athletic superstar. Dick’s sells more then just a product, they are selling a feeling to fulfill a longing in a customer’s life. Sort of like Jesus fulfills a longing in every open heart. Jesus paid the price for us, it’s our job to accept him and not the stereotypes that go along with sports stores or any other type of stores.