SEARS: The end of the era of Brookdale Mall

I remember watching Brookdale Mall (Brooklyn Center, Minnesota) being constructed as we all eagerly peered out the school bus windows, on our way to  Northport elementary.  (It was my kindergarten year, and everything was bustling with “newness”.)

It was magical – Just imagining a mass of stores, under one cover, in a luxurious setting with restaurants attached – called:  A MALL!

So many shopping firsts and fashion firsts were acquired at Brookdale Mall: Dayton’s, Penney’s, Donaldson’s, Snyder’s and……..Sears. I worked at Sears throughout High School….. it was a grand place to work.  I can’t remember a time as a little girl when I didn’t look forward to the “Christmas Wish Book“, or going with my Dad to get a “Craftsman” tool.  And when Mom’s washer went on the blink – off we’d go to Sears for a replacement.  Sears was the store for the Everyman.   

The demolishing of Brookdale Mall a number of years back left one vestige standing: Sears. But now – it will soon be demolished as well.

I visited my flagship job/store/memory maker  –  in the last final days, and it was heartbreaking.  Below are a few pictures on the history of Sears – as I remember it and photographed  it.

Nothing stays the same.
And, at times, they simply vanish. 

        

RETAILER’s: Open on Holidays? Are we outraged or are we ignorant?

…… This is my take – Holidays mean 3 things to the average citizen:

• A paid day off from work (but not in retail)
• Football, Family, Food (But not in retail)
• Traditional family time (But not in retail).

So perhaps we shouldn’t leave it up to the hard working employees to suffer the consequences for our greed – perhaps we should support the retailers that choose to honor those employees with quality family time off, visit their stores (after the holiday) and simply NOT SHOP on holidays…..

There is the flip-side to this coin: Employees that don’t have or want family time.  Should they be forced to lose the income for those holidays?  Should the employer pay holiday pay to all that don’t work on holidays (this will never happen – perhaps for management – but not for the hourly workers) – or give them the choice to work?

There are always two sides (or many) to the coin.  Opinions??