Who are we killing in the Malls and branded Coffee shops?
Ever wondered?
Or does this question sound humerous?
We don't go to a mall to kill anyone! We just go tehre to shop & have fun...
But is that all that we are doing? Or is there more to it?
We live in an honest economy. This doesn't mean that everyone is honest. This just means that money can not be produced out of thin air. So for someone to make money, someone has to loose money.
When thousands of people flock malls for shopping everyday, the money they loosen their purse strings and give their money to the Mall Owners in return of commodities and experiences.
So consumers exchange their money, they don't really loose it. But somebody has to loose, so that the Mall Owners can gain. And in current circumstances, the loosers are the street corner Mom and Pop shops, our friendly 'Kiranawala's - the kind of small shops where consumers were shopping before the huge shopping malls opened up and grabbed all their attention and all their spendings.
So is there anything wrong in this?
From the consumer's pint of view, NO. Consumer gets everything she/he wants under one roof. Malls can give them things at lower prices as (supposedly) they operate on the principle of smaller profits per item X large quantity = more profit.
But for the society as a whole?
The Mall Owners are a few people, or a few corporations, having many malls across entire country. They are already rich, they are getting richer.Nothing wrong!
If they provide people what they want, with convinience and at a lwoer price, they should benefit.
But what do small shop owners loose in this? They don't loose just their prospertiy.
They loose their livelyhood!
As mega malls eat into their consumer base, they end up selling fewer items. So now they ahve to sell at higher prices, just to make their daily living. So now even less people buy from them. So finally , they can not afford to stay in business.
They shut down.
When one shop shuts down, it takes away the income of its owner - who will probably be educated and capable of finding other sources of income
and jobs of its salespeople - some of whom will find alternatives, others...?
income of its suppliers - they might reduce their business, and cut their staff...
So there is a trickle down effect on social economy...
Mall owners and educated polished people who can work at those malls get richer, and lower-income folks, who were just getting by, get poorer.
So are we, the consumers, responsible for poverty of these new class of poor?
Are we killing their livelihoods, their dreams by shopping in the Malls and drinking in branded Coffee shops?
Answers may vary. This is my point of view. Will like to read what is your point of view about this.
Or does this question sound humerous?
We don't go to a mall to kill anyone! We just go tehre to shop & have fun...
But is that all that we are doing? Or is there more to it?
We live in an honest economy. This doesn't mean that everyone is honest. This just means that money can not be produced out of thin air. So for someone to make money, someone has to loose money.
When thousands of people flock malls for shopping everyday, the money they loosen their purse strings and give their money to the Mall Owners in return of commodities and experiences.
So consumers exchange their money, they don't really loose it. But somebody has to loose, so that the Mall Owners can gain. And in current circumstances, the loosers are the street corner Mom and Pop shops, our friendly 'Kiranawala's - the kind of small shops where consumers were shopping before the huge shopping malls opened up and grabbed all their attention and all their spendings.
So is there anything wrong in this?
From the consumer's pint of view, NO. Consumer gets everything she/he wants under one roof. Malls can give them things at lower prices as (supposedly) they operate on the principle of smaller profits per item X large quantity = more profit.
But for the society as a whole?
The Mall Owners are a few people, or a few corporations, having many malls across entire country. They are already rich, they are getting richer.Nothing wrong!
If they provide people what they want, with convinience and at a lwoer price, they should benefit.
But what do small shop owners loose in this? They don't loose just their prospertiy.
They loose their livelyhood!
As mega malls eat into their consumer base, they end up selling fewer items. So now they ahve to sell at higher prices, just to make their daily living. So now even less people buy from them. So finally , they can not afford to stay in business.
They shut down.
When one shop shuts down, it takes away the income of its owner - who will probably be educated and capable of finding other sources of income
and jobs of its salespeople - some of whom will find alternatives, others...?
income of its suppliers - they might reduce their business, and cut their staff...
So there is a trickle down effect on social economy...
Mall owners and educated polished people who can work at those malls get richer, and lower-income folks, who were just getting by, get poorer.
So are we, the consumers, responsible for poverty of these new class of poor?
Are we killing their livelihoods, their dreams by shopping in the Malls and drinking in branded Coffee shops?
Answers may vary. This is my point of view. Will like to read what is your point of view about this.
posted by Neel Bhatt (Zero) at 11:20 PM
4 Comments:
good to meet you in the blogosphere :)
Do write more often ..
cheers,
As it is said there are 2 sides to a coins …malls do offer employment and livelihood to so many people from Janitors to cleaners, security, parking attendants, sales staff to name a few....most of them would be people from the lower income bracket… So there are lots of people in addition to the already rich mall owners gaining by setting up the mall
This comment has been removed by the author.
Liked the way you've written it up..But do consider the govt.'s point of view. They have no reason to complain since most of the 'Kiranawala's do not give a receipt for the items we buy.In this process the govt. loses a lot of money that it can earn through taxes. Also, malls do offer a lot of employment as sumana pointed out.
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