Lions and Tiger and Bears, O MY!!!

The correlation that Kowinski draws between the shopping mall and the stage of a theatrical production provides a very interesting view of what our retail world has progressed to in the past century. Just as the Broadway musical acts as an escape from the fast paced culture of New York City, the Mall offers a very similar affect. The lights go down, the music roars, the actors begin to dance, and suddenly you are taken away to a different world. Although the retail stage is not exciting in the same sense that a musical or drama production is, the mall can captivate you in ways that similarly drag you away and induce you into a fiasco of consumerism. As you enter the property you are drawn into the mundane procession of parking lot traffic that acts as your last relationship with the outside world and almost acts as a reminder to the more or less normalcy that your day to day routine encompasses. As you part you car and walk toward the entry you may feel a sense of excitement that is comparable to the fantasy reading or movie. The mystery that lies behind the door of the main promenade can leave you in suspense…What new electronic toy may I find, what pair of new shoes could I buy, or what friends will I run into? These all play a part in what Kowinski and the retail industry refer to as “The Retail Drama.” This theory of creating an atmosphere or “drama,” that induces the customer to lose touch with the reality of the outside world, can be seen in all malls and in all scales. In his primary example of the Greengate Mall, what we can consider a normal mall of scale and target customer, Kowinski frames the importance of the Christmas season and depicts the implementation of “The Retail Drama” at its most basic scale…the decoration. However, we can see this concept being used on a more serious and more permanent scale in malls such as The West Edmonton Mall in Alberta, Canada. The design of this mall incorporates a retail drama with the use of numerous “themed” zones, including amusement parks, themed hotel stays, water rides, and much more. This idea creates a very dramatic affect within the space, where the customer can experience feelings similar to riding a roller coaster at their favorite amusement park, paired with their enjoyment of shopping…and ultimately forget that they are spending hard earned money in the process.