2008 Woodie Awards
Shopping is no longer about clothing
By: Kara Ogushi
Issue date: 5/6/04 Section: Opinion
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Shopping in the South Bay these days is like trying to go shopping the day after a liquidation sale; there just isn't anything worth buying anymore.
With the emergence of super shopping centers, obsolete malls such as Del Amo and the South Bay Galleria are struggling just to keep stores open.
If you have roamed the malls in the South Bay recently, you would notice how empty it has grown in the past few years.
The Del Amo mall has closed half of its mall to the public due to lack of interest on that side.
Many stores in those two malls have opened and closed in a short period, while popular areas such as Ontario Mills or South Coast Plaza have been booming.
The quality of stores in the South Bay has also dropped dramatically.
There are fewer brand name stores like Guess and Bebe and more discount shops like Fashion Bug and Forever 21, which feature copycat clothing made with fabrics that are inexpensive.
Since so many stores have been closed down, it has become necessary to go to two or three malls just to get everything you want.
It is so inconvenient that many people choose to drive a little farther to go to a mall that has all the stores they want.
Others have switched to the convenience of shopping online to avoid pushy salespeople and driving the extra distance.
Online websites such as overstock.com provide high end clothing and accessories for lower prices, at the click of a mouse.
Vintage stores aren't packed with shoppers, but they have an old-fashioned quality that gets customers to come back.
Stores such as Second Hand Rose and the Salvation Army boutique provide name brand clothing, normally very pricey, at very low prices.
The malls of California have now become amusement parks, not only in entertainment, but in prices too.
Parking alone can cost $20 and or more depending on where you go.
Popular shopping areas need to compete by resembling three-ring circuses, complete with food, entertainment and rides.
With the emergence of super shopping centers, obsolete malls such as Del Amo and the South Bay Galleria are struggling just to keep stores open.
If you have roamed the malls in the South Bay recently, you would notice how empty it has grown in the past few years.
The Del Amo mall has closed half of its mall to the public due to lack of interest on that side.
Many stores in those two malls have opened and closed in a short period, while popular areas such as Ontario Mills or South Coast Plaza have been booming.
The quality of stores in the South Bay has also dropped dramatically.
There are fewer brand name stores like Guess and Bebe and more discount shops like Fashion Bug and Forever 21, which feature copycat clothing made with fabrics that are inexpensive.
Since so many stores have been closed down, it has become necessary to go to two or three malls just to get everything you want.
It is so inconvenient that many people choose to drive a little farther to go to a mall that has all the stores they want.
Others have switched to the convenience of shopping online to avoid pushy salespeople and driving the extra distance.
Online websites such as overstock.com provide high end clothing and accessories for lower prices, at the click of a mouse.
Vintage stores aren't packed with shoppers, but they have an old-fashioned quality that gets customers to come back.
Stores such as Second Hand Rose and the Salvation Army boutique provide name brand clothing, normally very pricey, at very low prices.
The malls of California have now become amusement parks, not only in entertainment, but in prices too.
Parking alone can cost $20 and or more depending on where you go.
Popular shopping areas need to compete by resembling three-ring circuses, complete with food, entertainment and rides.