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Survival of the fittest could well describe the current state of affairs between the huge shopping mall and the fading conventional high street shop. Who wins has yet to be finally determined. The mall is financially stable, centrally air-conditioned and offers on-site toilet facilities. However, from an urban point of view, it is a real catastrophe. Within its own closed environment, the mall is separated from the street. As a strong business, it poses a financial threat to the traditional street-front store which exhibits its merchandise honestly and democratically. The conventional shop saves us precious time and money without the mall's promenades, club cards, and seductive "sales". Unlike the mall, it has no rich uncles behind it, yet it still enriches the street, granting it dynamicity, and allowing it to evolve over time. In the absence of powerful advocates, the simple shop must plead its own case. printing on canvas |
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