BUSINESS BUZZ
Mills and malls Consumers evolve and shopping needs change
by Lori Bradley
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etailers pay a steep price for inflexibility. Shopping malls of the 1970s and 1980s drew customers away from city centers by offering concentrated access to major retailers, resulting in empty downtown store fronts and decay. Traditional malls offer mass-produced items fixed in the final link of the manufacturing supply chain. Most mall products have been processed and marked up through wholesalers; an impersonal process tailored to mass market segments rather than individuals, though some large malls are beginning to house “pop-up shops” featuring small local retailers. That’s because large malls are losing customers fast. Many people currently shop online for bread-and-butter items and seek a more personalized shopping experience when they leave their homes. No longer wanting to be treated like anonymous end-users, shoppers are seeking uplifting and holistic experiences and a sense of connection with products, makers, and sellers. In many cities, like New Bedford,
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Amy Lund in her weaving studio at Hatch Street.
Called the Mill with a View, the Kilburn Mill complex in the South End has become a destination for shoppers seeking an immersive and varied experience. customers are returning to shop in modern versions of shopping malls, and these are ironically housed in antique mill buildings. Called the Mill with a View, the Kilburn Mill complex in the South End has become a destination for shoppers seeking an immersive and varied experience. Once one of the most productive textile mills in the city, it now houses dozens of small businesses including independent clothing stores, consignment stores, handmade gift shops, and other retailers along with wellness-oriented businesses including fitness gyms and yoga and massage studios. A few special shops make a day at the Kilburn Mill a truly special shopping experience, including a live plant
May 2023 | The South Coast Insider
store called Star Garden Studio. On a cold day, stepping into this store is like taking a trip to a tropical park. Its light-filled space is filled floor to ceiling with robustly healthy greenery that will enliven any indoor space. Flip This Doll House (flipthisdollhouse. com) is housed in a massive open space and filled with doll houses from every era. Walking in the door is like entering a miniature city. Flip This Doll House sells hard-to-find and tiny furniture and household items to fit any aficionado’s imagination or fill a hobbyist with glee. Wandering through Flip This Doll House can be an achingly sentimental experience, with each house prodding a distant memory.
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