Mall shopping is normally much more convenient than visiting downtown locations within your community. There are, however, some common problems with mall shopping that need simple solutions. If you are planning on going shopping at your local mall, take some time to properly plan out your excursion.
Depending on the time of day, the shopping malls can be very chaotic and busy, which can turn off many potential customers. To avoid this common mall problem, go shopping at hours when the mall is not experiencing peak business. Going early in the morning, or later in the evening tend to be less busy than during the hours at lunch or supper, when people are out of work or on their breaks. Avoid shopping malls on the weekends if possible, and get your shopping done early in the week.
Parking concerns happen at the mall, but to avoid this, figure out a nice central location between the stores you plan on visiting, or plan your shopping appropriately so that you might end up in an area where parking spaces are in abundance. If you shop with a list, you can avoid many of the most common problems associated with mall shopping. If you have small children, or happen to be pregnant, there are convenient parking spaces near the front of the major stores designed for these customers. Take advantage of these parking spaces if you can.
Making a detailed and itemized list will help you immensely with your shopping at the mall. Avoid wasting too much time at the mall by mapping out your route so that you maximize your efficiency. This will also help you to resist the urge to impulse buy through not entering stores that are not on your list. You should also shop alone if you want to be ultra efficient. Shopping with friends or family tends to get you bogged down going through stores that they want to, but that you do not need anything from.
Overspending is a major problem while mall shopping. The simple solution to this is to leave your credit cards at home, and to avoid signing up for store credit cards at all costs. Major retail outlets want your business, and store credit cards lure you into a false sense of savings, although the interest rates are exorbitant on store credit cards. Try to save money everyday by shopping when items are on sale, which is easily known by scouring the flyers and the Internet.
Unruly children can be bothersome, and can slow down even the most ardent and experienced mall shopper. Some shopping malls offer child play areas that are supervised, so that you can effectively shop while your child has fun. The constant whining of a child that does not want to see you try on shoes can spoil your shopping, so having them occupied is a tremendous boon. The carts that look like cars are also a way to keep your child with you, and engage them in a fun activity as they feel they are driving. The cart can also help you carry your items.
Malls sometimes run out of stock of certain items, especially those on sale, so you could avoid this problem and use the simple solution of calling ahead and putting the item on hold for you. This will also eliminate any senseless wandering around in the store because it will be conveniently awaiting your arrival.
Another common problem while shopping at the mall involves the carrying of your packages. Heavy packages minimize your efficiency, so a simple solution is to set up your detailed list in such a manner that you make those purchases last, so that you do not have to lug around heavy items for a long period of time.
These are some of the most simple solutions to common problems encountered while mall shopping. As long as you foresee and problems, you will better be able to work around them in an efficient manner.