No More March Madness!?

From the late 70s to the mid-90s, when I was a young man, I found visiting my hometown mall, which is the Alexandria Mall, a captivating experience. As odd as this may sound, I loved the smell of newness and the bright lights shining on store displays highlighting everything from Polo shirts to the Frampton Comes Alive albums.  The death of the mall is sad for me because it’s the end of an era where you could physically see what was on your wish list, and it was a huge deal to purchase an item that you saved money to buy and that you could actually feel.  It’s wild to think that I could spend hours taking a retail journey in neon heaven.

It was always an amazing experience to browse in such legendary stores like Hickory Farms, Music Land, and Spencer’s.  It was gratifying to hold the summer sausage, the Led Zeppelin IV cassette tape, or the famous poster of Farrah Fawcett in the red swimsuit in your hands.  In Alexandria, it was mandatory for me to go to Gus Kaplan’s and Caplan’s Men Store to try on clothes before purchasing them. To this day, I still feel strange ordering attire on the internet except from my website (shameless plug.)

I remember what a treat it was to drive to Lafayette, Louisiana to go to the Acadiana Mall and shop at Maison Blanche, which is now Macy’s and unfortunately will be closing at the end of this month – so instead of a March Madness promotion, they’re having a Going Out of Business sale. I have such fond memories of this shopping mall. When I decided to move to Lafayette four years ago, the deciding factor to move into my apartment was that the Acadiana Mall, which is located behind my complex. I guess I felt that having the mall so close would give me the opportunity to escape back to the past when all nonessential merchandise was new as it shined under the impeccable lighting. My mall memories are the reason I enjoy movies such as Valley Girl and Paul Mazursky’s Scenes from a Mall.

Just recently, I went to the Acadiana Mall to take photos for this blog. It was upsetting to see how empty it was and how many of the stores are now closed. Even the food court was a ghost town, lacking a good selection of unhealthy meals. When I got back into my car that was parked in a deserted lot, I came to the realization that the GAP, Corn Dog 7, Sam Goody, and Orange Julius are no longer in existence – just fond memories.

I still plan on getting a quick fix of nostalgia by visiting the mall – so join me in prayers for the survival of Bath & Body Works (I have an addiction to Wallflowers), Chick-fil-A, and all remaining retailers in shopping malls across the nation.

Let’s bring back the March Madness sales!
- David