Shopping and Customer Service

Largely because they've become far more than places to buy things. A modern mall offers air conditioning, restaurants, a cinema and somewhere for children to play, all under one roof, so a family can spend an entire afternoon there without getting bored. In hot or rainy climates that's a real attraction. They're also seen as safe and clean, which makes them a natural meeting point for teenagers and for older people alike.

The main advantage is the personal touch. The owner often knows the products inside out, remembers what you bought last time and will give you an honest opinion. You're also supporting a local family instead of a distant corporation. On the downside, prices are usually a little higher, the range is narrower, and opening hours can be unpredictable. So small shops tend to win on service and lose on convenience.

The clearest difference is what you can check before you pay. In a shop you can touch the fabric, try the size and walk out with the item straight away, whereas online you're relying on photographs and other people's reviews. Online shopping makes up for that with choice and price, as you can compare a dozen sellers in a few minutes. I'd also say buying in a shop is a more social experience, since you're dealing with a person and not a screen.

Up to a point, yes. When people spend, shops take on more staff, factories produce more, and that income is spent again somewhere else, so the money keeps circulating. That's why governments sometimes encourage spending during a downturn. However, growth built purely on consumption has limits — if people are borrowing in order to buy, the debt eventually has to be repaid, and there's an environmental cost to making and throwing away so many goods.