(Serious) Could the next mid terms bring an early 00s 'boom' to Oregon again?

We had a major boom in the early 00s as Oregon became 'modernized' and many big towns grew. Salem grew. A lot of little towns started to grow and prepared for it. Bend had major growth I think Bend doubled between 1992 and 2005 and it was expected by 2015 Bend and Redmond would be almost indistinguishable. However all this shunted to a halt in the Oh Bama era for some odd reason and things stagnated since.

The only good years we had were the first two of Trump. The malls were JAMMED packed with actual buyers. In the Obama era nobody had a single shopping bag in their hand when we went to the mall yet in the Trump era almost everybody had big bags. There's no reason the malls should've shut down. Sorry but I don't buy the 'Amazon' theory crap. That's the most asinine scapegoat if I ever heard one.

Do you think Oregon could ever see a boom in my lifetime again? I would love to experience it once more. Hell do you think the middle class will make a comeback? I think that's what the biggest failure of Trump was the lack of middle class to bring the draw. It was far too gone compared to the 90s.

a reply to: Sooga

The numbers paint a different picture.
But I don't live there so ya.

a reply to: Sooga

Online purchases and shopping are the reason malls are becoming obsolete and are directly responsible for poor sales and attendance.

Whether or not you choose to accept the fact or otherwise matters little.

Change is inevitable.

Personally, i prefer to purchase most items in person as opposed to online down to the problems associated in the difference between what you see on the screen to what you actually get or receive.

As to the middle class making a comeback, i don't see that happening whilst the class divide only grows wider.

Far too many have nots and far too few haves seems to be the colour of the day, or so it appears to be.

a reply to: Sooga

Perhaps you should add it to the nearly identical thread your sock already posted.

Then you can review your other thread What causes some people (like me) to just attract rude people always setting us off?.

The answer is .

originally posted by: Sooga
There's no reason the malls should've shut down.

Yeah, there is. They were a terrible concept who's time has happily passed.

Safety is the malls main issue. Our local one still has issues and it's been closed for years.

a reply to: mikell

The glass panels always end up falling down from the ceiling at some point if that's what you mean.

Or they do in places like Buchanan Galleries, St. Enoch Centre, Silverburn.

a reply to: andy06shake

That's poor maintenance issues cause malls are now ran by one or two conglomerates which is where the problems all start. Simon owns a bunch more then they should and I think they went in over their heads when these companies bought the malls like when Sears bought Kmart instead of letting it die. It just took Sears down with it.

Sears in our area were always busy right till the end which is how we always bought our appliances thru them and they honored the service plans well. Never steered us wrong. We still have our Sears lawnmower from 1990 and it still works! We bought it in Chico California at the Chico Mall. The only mall in the area at the time save for the very tiny Shasta mall up towards Redding.

The Shasta mall is now bigger then it was. Does this link show up for you at all?www.google.com...@40.5881695,-122.3564363,18.1z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x54d29333b4d2d377:0x87dbd7bee8eaf426 !8m2!3d40.5892334!4d-122.3551378

a reply to: mikell

Despite the problems Lloyd Center had security that was always on top of everything. We saw a bunch of kids one being literally dragged out by a security guard yelling 'I didn't do it!' when shop lifting. He had that 'Of course I did it' look and the security team had special scooters to whip around in. None of them were too fat to move.

Same at Salem Center minus the scooter part. The security guards look like you don't want to mess with them they got tough after the homeless problems crept up. Recently the homeless camps have been torn down entirely.

The Salem mall has this cool arcade place that expanded into three rooms taking over stupid stores that went under that were high end clothes and I think one was a hat shop nobody ever went into.

The arcade place only had one room pre Covid and I thought they'd be done for but it turns out the owner never shut the place down and people packed in during the weekends. He has this awesome game called Asphalt 9 where you actually buckle a seatbelt and can do two modes. 'Easy' or 'Extreme'. I obviously did easy mode and it still was pretty fun. I saw two older guys doing 'Extreme' and they were REALLY whipping around on it!

During Covid we went to the Albany mall because of the Salem Homeless issue and at that time Albany mall was much cleaner (still is pretty clean) and actually has a Target as an anchor which was a VERY smart move since they don't have any actual department stores anymore. That particular Target is ALWAYS busy unless you go in the evening or mid mornings so no shortage of shoppers there and many browse the mall at various times.
Again mornings are the best time to see that mall on a weekday.

We've also gone to the River Mall in Eugene a few times and it has the feel of a real mall almost no empty stores cluttering it and people have shopping bags when they are there so that's a good sign and still have a Penny's that's functional.
That means people didn't just window shop.

a reply to: Sooga

Aye your Google maps works fine.

Poor maintenance combined with weather would be my bet as to the falling glass panels.

There doomed pal, rent, staff wages and power bills, mean malls cannot compete with online purchases and service in todays world.

Not unless you wish to pay a near enough 25% mark up on the products you purchase there.

originally posted by: Sooga


During Covid we went to the Albany mall because of the Salem Homeless issue and at that time Albany mall was much cleaner (still is pretty clean) and actually has a Target as an anchor which was a VERY smart move since they don't have any actual department stores anymore. That particular Target is ALWAYS busy unless you go in the evening or mid mornings so no shortage of shoppers there and many browse the mall at various times.
Again mornings are the best time to see that mall on a weekday.

Homeless issue is what's making the difference. Anywhere the homeless move in to, it just gets impossible to make back enough profits to offset the shoplifting. Plus customers don't want to get constantly begged.

The Cascades outdoor mall out by the airport here in Portland is doing pretty well. You can't even hardly find a place to park during peak hours.

But..... they have also done a good job of keeping the homeless away. All the acreage nearby is private land, meaning that Oregon's "Right to sleep" laws don't apply, and the homeless can't just park their campers and besiege the stores.

Future malls will just have to be built at locations that don't have any public parking nearby.

if there are no more malls,
where will i pick up the chic's, a sexist would say!