The latest information is that the retail industry is suffering for a couple of reasons.  One of course is the option to shop on line and have it delivered to your home.  The other is that popular retail stores are feeling the crunch of on line shopping and closing their retail spaces.  Sad.  I have such great memories of going to the mall, from a child to pushing my child in a stroller.

I was in third grade when the Miller Hill Mall opened it's doors in 1973.  I remember going there with my mother as a child and spending hours shopping and eating.  Remember the games at Aladdin's Castle?  Back when Spencers wasn't quite as naughty?  Sometimes taking in a movie in the attached theater (sneaking in KarmelKorn popcorn from across the hall) or bringing in bags of candy from Mr. Bulky's.  Remember the delicious paper thin pizza from Orange Bowl or the fact that both JC Penney and Walgreen's had cafeterias?  Back when Montgomery Wards was an anchor store (we got our first microwave and VCR from there).  I also miss Hickory Farms and Perrault Bakery, they sold a spicy sausage wrapped in phyllo dough that you'd burp until you ventured to the mall the following Saturday.  We lived in Wrenshall so traveling to Duluth was done on Saturdays, lol.  Miss those days!

As I grew older, I morphed from spending my time there with my mother and friends shopping to spending time with my mother and my baby girl.  Kylee was born in December so it wasn't feasible to be outside pushing her in the stroller.  The mall was the perfect place to "stroll" around, shop, eat and JC Penney had a lounge I could breast feed in private.

Another advantage to shopping at the mall was instant gratification.  I could try on the clothes and shoes and take it home with me to wear immediately.  It wasn't order, wait, bought the wrong size, wait for my return to be picked up, wait for the replacement and once again, play the wait and see if it fit game. Maybe because those younger than I didn't get the opportunity to experience the hours of amusement, shopping and "hanging out" at the mall it's no big deal to them that retail stores are closing and time spent at the mall has waned.  I will always savor those memories with my mom and my daughter!

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