Revolutionizing the retail industry

“….so that the arcade is a city, a world in miniature, in which customers will find everything they need…..the arcades are a place of refuge for the unprepared, to whom they (arcades) offer a secure, if restricted, promenade…” Benjamin p. 31

There is no doubt that arcades are the first example of the modern day mall; the accentuated double loaded corridors naturally light from above with the controlled chaos that is the public shopping within. Walter Benjamin describes the beginnings of the arcade as a conglomeration of new construction techniques as well as a need for refuge for vendors as well as consumers. The first arcades transformed the retail industry forever. Instead of individual shops, the arcade created a completely new environment, “a world in miniature.” The idea that a person now had the ability to satisfy a multitude of consumer tasks all in one place was revolutionary. Not only was it revolutionary for the customer, but the retailer as well. They now had the opportunity for maximum exposure to the public, where as before the arcade, a visit by the consumer would most likely be more purposeful. The arcade set the stage for a complete shift in the retail industry; business competition grew due to close proximity, advertising was now a must to attract new customers, and caual window shopping was now possible. The arcade was step one, then eventually today’s typical mall, and now the mega malls of the future. Although the scale ranges from a miniature to city, to a project as enormous as Destiny USA, the principles of the arcade are the same. These basic principles of convince, sequence and the public are the driving force behind mall design today. How can we make our mall as enjoyable, accessible, and prepared as possible for every type of customer we may encounter….?