Woodland Mall: "Exceptional Shopping!"

    

    

What characteristics make up a sanctuary? Within the context of an animal sanctuary, the first characteristic is that it is a place set aside, a place that is separated from natural habitats but offers protection and security to its inhabitants. A religious sanctuary, however, requires many more props. According to Jon Pahl, religious sanctuaries have intentional and distinct decor and follow a strategic but predictable layout. So, outside of zoos and cathedrals, where else are sanctuaries found? According to Pahl, we must look no further than the closest indoor shopping mall.

     The Woodland Mall in Grand Rapids operates out of a central point at its center, branching off into hallways of stores. The clean white walls, floors and vaulted ceilings throughout imply a purity, a safe haven from the chaos of the city as well as the clutter of the small and full stores. Within this haven the lighting is ethereal to promote a sense of calmness. There are potted plastic plants strategically placed throughout, another marker of a sacred space. Tall pillars in the heart of this space seem to be attempting to be reaching for the heavens above.

            So what is this scene set for? When we repeatedly practice the act of shopping and buying, again and again, we become (perhaps without knowing it) a part of a larger ritual. This ritual plays out much like a pilgrimage. When I imagine the mall at Christmas time (or anytime, really, as I experienced this weekend) the image is about as close as I have ever experienced to the Hajj. People coming together, for better or worse, are being funneled through a maze by cues of light, sound, visuals and scents. Making this pilgrimage is what validates humans to be the full embodiment of all they were created to be: consumers (according to the film The Persuaders.)
           How many times must a person complete this pilgrimage in order to fulfill the call of consumerism? Is buying what makes us human or is this capital-driven, pseudo-sanctuary sub-culture dehumanizing the individuals involved?

Mall Trip

I made my pilgrimage to Woodland Mall this afternoon with a couple of friends from class. The first thing I noticed as I walked into Macy's were some of the advertisements. I can't remember the specifics, but a clothing product was advertised as giving the buyer freedom. A new line of women's make up was named Origins. I thought this ironic, as it likely promised that by applying makeup to your face you would somehow become more natural. As I walked out of Macy's and into the vast mall complex, a giant sign caught my eye. It read, "Exceptional Shopping." This reminded me of the shirt in our John Pahl reading which said, "True Shopping." They really want to sell us the idea that by shopping there we take part in something grander.

Walking through the long open halls in between stores I noticed more things that Pahl had also observed. While I didn't see water or fountains, I noticed the emphasis on light. The place beamed with it through the use of skylights and other techniques. It gave it an exuberant energy. Trees and other vegetation stuck out to me, and they created a pleasant environment. The many facets of the mall all worked together to create a happy environment and mood for the consumer. I think this contributes much to our love of malls as consumers. It's a very cool place, and I can see how we are easily lulled to sleep as consumers by its many attractions.

Another Trip to the Mall

After watching The Persuaders and reading the chapter by John Paul, my recent trip to Woodland Mall had a little different outlook. When I got to the mall, I immediately was struck by the amount of advertising around the mall. There were tons of images of slim, beautiful women offering the products that every woman must have. There were images of happy, perfect families enjoy some activity together. And the list goes on. Along with noticing the advertising, there also were artificial trees placed throughout the mall. I have lived in Grand Rapids my whole life and my family has gone to Woodland plenty of times but not once had I taken any notice to the trees. Also, there were skylights and light windows on the ceiling providing increased light. With the tree and the lighten ceilings, the mall seemed large and open and almost inviting. I roamed the mall for a while and went in a few stores. Laura and I decided to venture into Victoria's Secret. Again, I noticed the images placed around the store. The Victoria's Secret models are slender with big eyes and breasts, long necks, and a coke bottle figure. Every model wore the clothing and lingerie perfectly. These images suggested how woman need to look to be beautiful. They also showed that you need to buy all the accessories to the outfit to be complete. The pants, the sweatshirt, the t-shirt, and of course the underwear. The images throughout the store promoted both an image for women to obtain and a consumeristic happiness. Every store had these images, from the jewelry stores to Sears. I never noticed the images until we watched The Persuaders. It is unbelievable how much my eyes have been opened to the deeper motives of everything at the mall, from the architecture to the images.

Mall post

My recent visit to the mall was a real eye opener. When I started looking for different things like advertisements and looking at what people did when they were at the mall and how it was set up, I was blown away. I had never actually realized how every mall has the same general structure to it, or how every bit of usable space has an advertisement for something on it. It was amazing how the film and the reading were dead on about what happened in the malls. The workers at the mall are all using similar advertising techniques as to how they approach you and try and sell you something, you know a good sales person when they come at you in a different way though. The way the malls are always in pristine condition, clean floors, ceiling, walls, and even the fake trees are clean and look as good as the day they were bought.

mall post

We sometimes never realize things until we actually look for them. I realized this when I went to the mall this weekend after watching 'The Persuaders' and reading an article. Advertising has almost got to the point where sometimes we find ourselves buying something simply because the man or the woman in the shop said 'Oh that looks great!' or the famous 'You won't regret buying this'. These men and women use certain phrases and lines that appeal to the average buyer. They make it seem as they know what you're looking for and they appeal to you in a way that makes you want to buy anything and everything. They are sometimes almost arrogant in the way they do this and will pretty much say anything in order to try and sell you their product. 

One of the things that really stood out to me all of a sudden was shop posters, advertisements and shopping bags. Many of them have images that some would consider inappropriate. The mall is pretty much a big trap that draws its 'prey' in. We are simply pulled in by images, smells and sounds. Our malls today know how to appeal to us perfectly. 

Mall Post

Today, me and a couple of friends went over to Woodland Mall to check it out with the knowledge we gained from the article and video we watched in class. This time, when we went to the mall we tried to be more conscious and aware of the people and the way the store advertised and lured us in to the stores. One of the traps I personally fell into today and a couple of weeks ago was the “buy one get one” deal in most of the stores. The deals lured us into their stores and convinced us to buy unnecessary stuff just because of the deal. To think of it, yes, it is a pretty good deal but sometimes we tend to end up making stupid decisions while trying to be smart shoppers. These deals trick us by letting us be unaware of the fact that not all the items are the same price. And in these deals you pay for the highest priced ones. So if you happened to not be aware of the price of both of the heels because of the word “SALE” on it, don’t check the proper prices on it and don’t check the receipt you might end up with two useless pairs of heels for more than 70 bucks instead of the price you thought of which was way lesser than 70 bucks and the bigger problem is that you don’t always get a chance to get a refund because it was on a special clearance sale. But thank God! Today, I was a smart shopper thanks to the awareness of the persuasions of the brands. So I guess the persuasions of the stores aren’t always a rip-off. And I was also able to truely understand why some people think malls are like churches. As soon as you step in the store people come up to you to share the products and events and sales from that products which is like how churches try to reach out to other people and evangelize to everyone about Gods love.

Shopping: Not just for the Parents - a look at the Lakes Mall

This weekend, I went to the Lakes mall in Muskegon with my boyfriend and his three younger sisters (Leah - 13, Abby - 10, Justina - 6). During this trip, my eyes were opened to some new tricks of the advertising trade.

Being the youngest child, this was one of the first times I had gone shopping with “little sisters,” and it make a very big difference. First, we went to Old Navy. Right when we came in the door there was a table with crayons and coloring pages - at which Justina yelled “CAN I COLOR?!” She was instantly drawn to things she found familiar...and somewhere she would sit and stay in one spot. This would be very helpful for a busy mother who wants to shop. Rather than having a child at her side wanting to leave, they would be distracted, leaving more time to browse - and buy.

Another interesting thing to draw children in were the amount of fake dogs in the mall. Old Navy had a dog, which Justina just HAD to check out. Victoria’s Secret also had a plush dog right inside the door. When she saw the dog in Victoria’s Secret, she ran ahead to check out the plush dog, calling me to come check it out. How handy for the stores - draw the children in with the fun plush animals so that the parents will also come in and start browsing - hopefully leading to more sales.

Businesses are using children to bring the parents into stores, and once inside, keeping children busy so that parents can shop. So now the question is - who is taking who shopping? The parents might be looking for something, but are willing to go almost anywhere to make their children happy - especially on a long shopping day. Just one more way the stores get more people to see more products and buy more stuff. Now, a fluffy plush dog can lead to the purchase of a $40 dollar push up bra.

Rivertown Mall

Full of stores and pretty decorations, the mall has been a place of beauty to me. Going to the mall has always been a big part of my life. It's the spot where I've gotten all my clothing and all my gifts for my relatives. It has been an innocent way to spend my time. After reading the article by Jon Pahl and watching The Persuaders I went to the mall this past weekend with a different outlook.

I noticed more how the mall is set up to subtly draw you in. The mall is truly a captivating piece of architecture. In Rivertown Mall there is a giant window that replaces the ceiling in the main "intersection" of stores. The mall takes advantage of natural light. Not only is the natural light gorgeous, it also makes you feel like you are in a place that cannot be compared to any other location. The natural light makes you feel as though the mall deserves all of your time and attention. Another noticeable feature within the mall is the plant life. It may seem subtle but everywhere you look you can spot an exotic looking plant located near you. These plants send you a message. They symbolize life and peace. These plants send a message that tells one not to "count the cost", as Jon Pahl puts it. Before reading the article by Jon Pahl I would have never caught on to these things and I believe that is the mission of the mall.

The mall doesn't want you to think about what you are doing while you are there. After this weekend trip I decided to truly think about the mall and what it does to my heart and mind. I have not changed my opinion that the mall is a place of beauty. Although, after thinking more about what the mall can do to manipulate someone I have changed my mind on it's innocence. The mall always seemed like an innocent way to spend my time but buying all my clothes and gifts for relatives didn't seem so innocent after this past visit. Now I know that the feeling of, "I want to buy something" isn't coming from within, it's coming from the surroundings.

Mall Post

As I went to the Woodland Mall this weekend, I was amazed at how what the movie and reading pointed out, was true in this small shopping center as well. The obvious signs were those of the people selling the products, especially those with the kiosks in the center of the halls. These sellers, as would approach you forcefully as they attempted to get you interested in their product, at times reducing to insulting you to say that you needed it. They used words that appealed to the senses, often sight and scent, as did fragrance or colorful products. This word usage caused you to picture what they were trying to describe and, in doing so, cause you to associate that positive image with their product. Another thing was the bags of popular stores among teenagers, such as Hollister and Abercrombie and Fitch, which displayed scantily clad models posing in ridiculous ways.  If they are posing with the opposite sex, they are usually kissing, staring deeply into each other’s eyes, and always touching. Another surprising aspect of the mall was its layout. It seemed just like the other malls that I have gone to. Woodland, though, has a Starbucks right in the center of all the stores. It is as if the layout is saying that tension, exhaustion, and agitation could all be forgotten and eased as you come to the center and have a relaxing cup of coffee. Especially for the parents of the kids in the play area. 

Woodland Mall

I've lived in Grand Rapids for almost two years now, and Woodland Mall is basically the only mall I've ever known during my time here. There's nothing special about it. It's basically like every other mall I've been to. There's an Abercrombie store, a Footlocker, a Victoria's Secret, and a Sbarro's, just like any mall in the United States. But after reading John Pahl's article and watching The Persuaders, I found myself with an eerie vibe as I strolled through the mall which I had become so accustomed to. Everywhere you look, there's an example of advertisement and consumerism's effect on people. The Barnes & Noble store shovels out self help books for the unfulfilled masses. The Apple Store shows off it's overpriced technology for those who just "absolutely need" the newest iPhone, iPad, or Macbook. Every clothing store has an unrealistic image of how the typical male and female "should" look. And to top it off, everyone is sedated by the warm goodness of a Wetzel's Pretzel. After taking all this in, it dawned on me; I'm walking in the Empire's church. The mall is the house of worship, every advertisement is scripture, prayer is reduced to spending, and the people are the broken followers who look to be redeemed by their almighty savior: image.