In recent years, there has been an increasing number of shopping malls being built, leading to the disappearance of small stores. In my opinion, this change brings about both positive and negative impacts, though the impacts are more negative in the long term.
On the one hand, the boom in the number of shopping malls has offered customers a wide range of benefits. First of all, people can now save time shopping thanks to the availability of many types of stores located in the one complex. Shopping malls offer groceries, clothing, and books, along-side food courts and entertainment facilities, all under the one roof. This provides a lot of convenience to people who choose to shop there instead of in separate smaller stores.
Moreover, shopping malls usually offer more discounts and promotions that customers can benefit from, when compared to small stores. Furthermore, smaller stores cannot usually provide customers with the added advantage of large, convenient and safe parking facilities that most shopping malls offer. As a result, more and more people are choosing to shop at large shopping malls, leading to a decrease in the number of people purchasing goods from small shops.
There are, however, a number of benefits to people and communities that shopping in smaller stores can bring. For example, locally-owned, family-run businesses are more likely to provide friendlier and better customer service than larger shopping malls and chain stores. In addition, more locally owned small businesses is better for local economies and communities in the long term, by providing more employment, profits and income to local people.
In conclusion, the proliferation of shopping malls could have positive effects on customers but it is likely to drive small local businesses out of business, and have a negative impact on local economies, with most profits being taken by non-local businesses.
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