The Death Of Mall Culture

Having grown up in the 90s and early 2000s, shopping looked much different than it does today. New items, from school supplies to clothing to the rare furniture upgrade, were an occasional acquisition, not an everyday expectation. And visiting stores, particularly department stores, was nothing short of an experience.

As a teenager, I remember taking in these behemoth shopping landscapes with awe. They were pristine and elegant. They had signature scents and sounds, and care was evident from the item curation to the perfectly folded garments and neatly arranged shelves. It felt like the pinnacle of luxury.

But things have since changed. We're witnessing a decline in the quality of department stores and the items sold within them. Shopping no longer feels beautiful. It feels gluttonous and, in some instances, grotesque.

This winter I went Christmas shopping with my mother. We were looking to make a day of it but spent little time or money as we went from store to store seeking an experience that no longer existed. Long gone were the days of feeling the magic that used to surround department stores during that special time of year.

Instead, we were met with empty shelves, clothing sloppily thrown and scattered throughout the stores, sales associates who were less than kind, and a feeling of emptiness as folks swiped credit cards on massive piles of low-quality items I couldn't help but envision in the landfill in a matter of months.

I came home and told my husband how the experience had left me feeling inexplicably sad. I know I can't be the only one noticing the untimely death of department stores, or feeling a sense of loss in their wake.

Department Stores Are On The Decline

Until recently, I mentally cited the declining health of department stores to two factors: the first being the mass adoption of smartphones and the second being the pandemic. During our years of social isolation we leaned into our screens like never before. We went to school, work, and the grocery store all through the addictive little rectangle clutched in our hands. We learned we didn't have to leave the house, socialize, or be generally interesting people. Our phones were our world, our personality, our everything.

I assumed that our decline as individuals (and subsequently, our decline as an interesting, motivated, and active population) is what brought the untimely death of department stores. Surely our sloth and lowered expectations were being reflected back at us through cheap merchandise and tactless marketing.

But what if the death of department stores has been more intentional than that, and part of a much larger problem?

They are a single domino falling in a larger cultural issue: The war on beauty.

On its surface, the decline of department stores poses any number of negative implications. Local economies are affected as jobs are lost and individuals have fewer avenues for spending money in their own communities. And "third places"—social areas outside the home and work which can significantly contribute to the mental health of a community—are lost. And of course, shopping as a whole is less joyful.

But department stores are more than just places to shop and gather. And they're more than just job-providers. They are a single domino falling in a larger cultural issue: The war on beauty.

Department Stores are a Victim in The War on Beauty and the Siege Against Traditional Values

The West is experiencing a moral collapse. We no longer have a shared value system that holds us all together. Our segment of the world was once motivated and guided by shared, traditional Judeo-Christian values. But those values are no longer shared by the majority and worse, they are under attack from a secular, leftist, marxist movement.

As our society's values and belief systems have fallen from prominence, so too has our celebration of classic beauty. We've replaced the divine with the grotesque. We uplift unhealthy and antisocial behaviors, from obesity (rebranded "body positivity") to gluttony (influencer shopping hauls come to mind), and pride (self above all others). Motherhood is scoffed at, religion mocked, and glamour crushed.

We've demonized everything that is traditional, righteous, and beautiful, and failed to recognize the true demon slowly and effectively overtaking the West.

Wannamaker's and the Height of Department Store Elegance

If the war on beauty had a face, it would be that of Julia James Davis. Davis is a self-described "aesthetic evangelist" who believes there is a "systematic destruction of beauty in all its forms—art, architecture, and religion" in the West. And she makes a compelling case in regards to department stores.

In an Instagram reel that's garnered almost 26,000 likes, she breaks down how the aesthetic and experiential decline of department stores represents Western culture's modern war on traditional Christian values. In the video, she overviews department stores of years past, specifically highlighting Wannamaker's—a pioneering Philadelphia department store founded in the 1800s—as a comparison to today's much bleaker shopping experience.

To visit the store was to partake in a cultural experience.

Wannamaker's store represented everything glamorous we equate with traditional shopping. The artwork hung within the store was akin to that of an art gallery and the space was known for its great organ. The shopping center was hallmarked for its elaborate holiday displays and customers were granted the freedom to browse without the pressure of purchasing. To visit the store was to partake in a cultural experience. One driven by Wannamaker's devotion to Christ.

As a devout Christian, Wannamaker's faith drove his business decisions. His store was constructed to resemble a church and its contents a tribute to the divine. To quote Davis, John Wannamaker wanted his store to be "a pillar of the community not just for people to go shop but that would actually lift up the neighborhood."

Reading about Wannamaker's store feels far removed from the department store reality many of us are living today.

Beauty Lifts Us Up

Beauty makes us better people. When we strive for beauty, whether it be in our homes or wardrobes, we explicitly make the decision to care. We communicate with ourselves and those we come into contact with that we respect ourselves and our surroundings.

This is a belief inherent to Judeo-Christian values, as well. Those who subscribe to this value system believe in respecting God's creations, including the bodies and lives we've been given.

Prioritizing beauty is not vain, trivial, or sinful. To do so is to take the time and energy to demonstrate care, respect, and love toward yourself and those around you. To seek and create beauty is to honor God.

When we strive for beauty, whether it be in our homes or wardrobes, we explicitly make the decision to care.

The culture war can sometimes feel demoralizing. But there are positive signals all around us. Free thinkers are no longer afraid to speak out against polarizing subjects. Gender ideology is being brought into question. Body positivity has been kicked to the curb. Families are going back to church.

As a born and raised Catholic, I personally have a penchant for hope. The cultural tides are turning and we can each lend our metaphorical strength toward righting the ship.

As you go forth in our commercially-driven world, shop with intention. Reward the institutions that are getting it right by spending your money at stores that prioritize quality, originality, and customer service. Make a conscious decision to stop choosing convenience and quick dopamine hits over fulfilling experiences and quality goods.

Whenever possible, intentionally and emphatically choose beauty.