When we went to Valley Fair to turn in our rough draft of our 14 days experiments, we were surprised with purple sheet of papers. We were told to walk around the mall on Thursday night to help us answer the questions that were given to us. First I thought it was going to be very simple and I would be able to answer it with no problem. I thought the questions would be about our favorite stores and we would be able to answer the questions as we shop. However everything changed as I took a tour. During the tour of the mall and looking through the questions, I realized it wasn't as simple as I thought it would be. We had to look deep into how the mall was built and what the mall creators' intentions were. To answer my questions, I simply walked around the second floor of the mall and was able to have a glimpse of who the creators' were aiming towards, as far as people who were shopping.
By looking around the loop structure and greek temple look alike mall, I realized that the first and second floors were very different. Although the second floor was bright and surrounded by marble walls in certain areas, I noticed the carpets. The stores in the second floor were affordable and there were more room to play in, since the food court was there. It was a little unusual to see carpets in a public area because I only see carpets at people's houses. Therefore I thought the carpets were used to make people feel comfortable. However, I also noticed that the first floor didn't have any carpets. Instead, the first floor not only didn't have carpets, stores on the first floor were very nice and expensive. Also, it was much longer as far as the columns and when it was compared to the second floor. As far as where the stores were located and the surrounding of those stores, I realized that the mall was segregating the (low and middle) and (high) classes. Yes, it is a possibility that the mall didn't mean to segregate or isolate the consumers, but as I look at the statistics of San Jose, it is just matter of time to believe that segregation is visible in Valley Fair Mall. Although in San Jose, there are more Hispanics than any other race, Valley Fair didn't seemed to believe that hispanics were the ideal consumers. Instead, they seemed to focus more on Caucasians and Asians as far as what types of stores were in the mall. For example, more asians and caucasians tend to shop at expensive stores or even Abercrombie or Banana Republic. Yes, it could be because of their education or based on their income, but mostly, they're more materialistic when it comes to what they wear and what they buy. Although it is wrong to say that the hierarchy of the mall has their ideal consumer, it is easy to see around our society that we have our idealistic view. As we went over in class, Valley Fair mall's ideal consumer is rich white females. With continuous images of white females on the wall and advertisement, we could say that it is true. Also, by looking at the mall's map, we could say that the mall has more stores for females than males. Therefore, the mall's ideal consumers are very easy to detect and that itself could easily make minorities or other ethnicities feel segregated.
Valley Fair clearly wanted the consumers to think that the mall was classy by placing the expensive stores on the first floor. If you were lost like I was, you would have to walk around all those stores to follow the arrow, which was guiding you to the top floor where the food court was located.
With that said, how the mall was structured and built is questionable. However Professor Berney, I disagree with how we are thinking that the mall creator did all that you said they did. Personally, it is too difficult to write any further about the mall because I don't see the same view as you and others see. I believe that they placed the expensive stores in the first floor because those stores could afford to pay more to place themselves in the first floor. Everyone walks through the first floor, therefore, whether you are a low, middle, or high class, everyone would see the store and would be attempted to go in. With that said, those stores have higher chances of getting the shoppers to go into their store and wanting to buy. Whether, it is too expensive or cheap, their main goal is to make the consumers want to buy, higher the demand, so that people would want to save and come back to buy what they wanted. Let's say that they placed themselves in the second floor. They wouldn't have low and middle class people attempting to go to the second floor. Because they don't have the money to buy those expensive items, they would rather not walk up there and save their time, than to go up there and waste their energy and time. It's business. I don't think the creator of the mall was trying to be biased or segregate people who are shopping. I think the way I do because there's money involved between the store owners and the mall owner. If it was the mall owner who owns all the stores in the mall, then I would think differently.
I don't disagree with you fully because I do believe that in some way, the mall is doing what they can to increase their income. Using the San Jose population and the statistics of what class of people, ethnicity of people, and the income of those households, they modify the mall so that the consumers would feel comfortable. However sometimes we don't feel comfortable due to our appearances or stereotypes. For example, when I walked into Armani Xchange, the workers looked at me differently and gave me the vibe that I don't belong in the store. Yes, I felt discouraged and angry, but I don't think that it is the mall to blame, but the individual who made me feel that way.
Overall, this mall experience was something new. I never thought of the way I did before and I still believe that I don't need to feel that way. However, if the hierarchy of the mall structured the mall the way you said they did, then that's something I would take it personal. That's almost inhumane, just not physically. If they really were trying to place the low and mid class to the second floor with less decoration and place high class to the first floor with marble floor with better stores, then it's almost as disruptive as slavery. Whatever they were trying to do, we are sure that all they are aiming is to increase their income. And if having a segregated mall with a ideal consumer is helping that, then good for them. However where's their integrity and our freedom.
