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Comment by alberth | Hacker News Reader

It’s also been shown that Apple drives so much traffic to malls where they are located (incremental 10% higher total mall sales), that Apple is able to negotiate cheaper rent.

https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/10-mind-blowing-facts-ab...

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It's certainly the only reason I've ever gone to the mall around here.

Wow. I just realized the same.

Well are dead-ish to dead malls and then there are malls that are doing pretty well and then there are luxury malls. You tend to see mall Apple stores in the middle category; even though they're not traditional anchor stores they effectively are.

Meanwhile, the former category has/had anchor stores like in the case of local mall such as it is at this point like Sears, JC Penney, and Macys.

Can I ask why? You don't buy things in malls anymore? Why? Thanks!

What would I buy? My clothing isn’t from any store in the mall. I don’t wear jewelry. I’m allergic to most food in the food court. (Literally anywhere in Cincinnati has better food anyway.) IKEA, Target, and Microcenter are in easy driving distance. I can get a lot of stuff from Amazon.

I do know everything in the mall. It’s my backup location for walking when going to the park or zoo isn’t a viable. I might stop by the LEGO store sometime, but would be an expensive mistake. Otherwise, there isn’t any store that interests me.

Everything I would ever buy in the mall can be found online for the same price or less, and I don't have to leave my house and deal with parking.

I hate the parking and crowds, the filth, and hoping that some store will have something I want in my size. I can eat better food at home. Shopping in general is a stressful experience for me.

Depending on the mall (Westfield Valley Fair), parking can be so bad for many years now that we avoid the mall completely. While the parking lot can be near capacity (mall is popular), we still avoid it (parking is too hard to find).

That's impressive, but on reflection it makes sense: these days we can buy almost anything we want with a couple taps of our phone, unless... our phone is broken.

And Apple often does in-store repairs in around an hour. Not enough time that you want to go home and come back, but enough time that you'll wander around the mall.

Plus, Apple does a bunch of other stuff to attract people to their stores. They have in-store classes on all of their products. They have the Genius Bar to answer questions. There's stuff to do there besides just buying the latest thing. You can also learn how to use the thing you bought, or the thing you already have. Good luck finding a sales clerk at the likes of Best Buy or, back in the day, Sears, who can actually tell you how to adjust the TV/washer/dryer/microwave/dishwasher/etc. that you purchased there. All they're interested in is selling the product, getting the sweet add-on of extended warranties and getting you out of the store so they can upsell the next person.

Phones also encompass/replace/compete with many of the goods that used to be sold in retail shops and and mall locations: books, magazines, music, movies/videos (and movie tickets), toys, games, video game systems, cameras, audio and video recorders, GPS systems, fitness trackers, notebooks and personal planners, greeting cards and stationery, desktop/laptop computers, etc..

Note that the only arcade machines that survive are prize machines that can't be replicated on a phone (although phones have gambling games of their own with virtual prizes.)

Phones also compete for time and attention vs. all other activities.

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