Al Remeithi 1
Abdulla Al Remeithi
Professor Koning
English 113B
February 26, 2014
The Northridge Fashion Battlefront
America is a great disappointment to me. As I said in one of my books, other societies create
civilizations; we build shopping malls. – Bill Bryson
It is 7 in the evening on a Monday, and I had just finished my 3-hour lecture. I leave
through the southern entrance of Sierra Hall and my heart starts thumping from the very cold
breeze. I continue walking in the dark campus towards the B5 parking structure, where my
car had been parked since 9 in the morning. I get into my car and turn on the ignition; while I
wait for it to heat, I decide where I want to pass by before going back home. I drive off
Plummer Street and turn left when I reach Tampa Avenue. And there it is, the huge parking
structure of the Northridge Fashion Center, located in the block right off Tampa Avenue. I
park my car in the lower floor of the structure; I enter the mall through the entrance, and try
adjusting my eyes to the bright lighting. As I enter, I get distracted by the candy kiosk in
front of the entrance, and by the water fountain right behind it. It makes me wonder, how
such a beautifully designed and modern structure is located in the heart of a dark valley. This
is the Northridge Fashion Center all right.
Public space has taken different forms in different eras. In this era, shopping malls are
dominating, whether it is in North America or the Middle East, you will always find shopping
centers. In general, people visit shopping centers not only because they want to shop, but they
also want to hangout with their friends somewhere fun, simple, and safe. From dining to
extreme shopping sprees, malls have everything one would want to do. Malls are designed to
attract consumers and keep them comfortable and happy while shopping; however, stepping
into one is like to stepping into a battlefield.
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Malls and Architectural Designs
People might not actually notice until someone points it out to them, but malls in
general are all planned and designed the same way. Most malls even have the same retail
stores as other shopping centers. In this case, the Northridge Fashion Center is no different.
This mall has numerous parking lots surrounding it, and one huge parking structure.
According to the General Growth Properties Inc., there are approximately 6963 parking
spaces for consumers to park throughout the property. The Northridge Fashion Center also
has 170 retail stores and 4 anchor stores, which include: Sears, JC Penney, Macy’s, and
Pacific Theatres. It is very common for a shopping center to have more than one anchor
tenant to provide for different consumers. The Pacific Theaters chain is seen in a lot of
shopping centers, and the quality of the cinema succeeds at grabbing consumers’ attention.
Macy’s, JC Penney, and Sears sell similar products so it is really challenging for them to get
new consumers. However, Macy’s is still considered to be on the higher-end (closer to
Bloomingdales and Nordstrom) than JC Penney and Sears. Some of the retail stores also
include: H&M, Abercrombie & Fitch, Aldo, Banana Republic, Coach, and Sephora. What is
common between the listed retail stores and the rest available in the mall is that they are not
really considered high-end brands, as much as they are considered in between the low and the
high.
There are different entrances located in different parts of the mall, but there are 3
common ones: the 2 by the parking structure (lower and upper floor) and the one by Pacific
Theaters. If you go through the lower entrance, you run into a candy kiosk, a booth-spa, a
seating area, and a wonderful fountain. According to the article, “the Science of Shopping
Secrets Behind a Mall’s Design” by Adam Geller, “mall managers leave very little to chance,
doing everything they can to draw consumers into the center and from store to store,
maximizing choices while keeping competition between stores in check, and giving people as
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many reasons to buy as possible.” The things I mentioned are not placed there because they
look nice, but because it tempts people to make use of them. Leaving a certain store and
finding Starbucks right across is no coincidence. I have seen a lot of ladies going into the spa
booth with their shopping bags because it had exhausted them. Some kids stay seated in the
area next to the fountain waiting for their parents to finish shopping. If you come through the
other entrance, you run into Disney Store, a seating lounge with free Wi-Fi and children’s
play area. Most people have limited data, which they would prefer not to waste, so it’s always
a good idea to have free Wi-Fi. The Children’s play area is located right under the Disney
Store, so kids passing by with their parents always want to go in and have a look. It’s not
easy to resist those temptations, especially by kids. Anchor tenants also have outdoor
entrances linked to the mall, to make it easier for people in a rush to get in and out. Whether
you want to go to Macy’s and leave afterwards, or visit other stores in the mall, you have the
choice to do either one.
Entering the Battlefield
Putting myself in Mike Davis’s shoes, the author of “Fortress Los Angeles” in which
he compares the city of Los Angeles to a fortress, I kept comparing the Northridge Fashion
Center to different things until I found the right one: a battlefield. It only makes sense that the
Northridge Mall is like a battlefield because there are 2 sides: The consumers and the mall
(which consists of stores and employees). Everyday, the mall sets a goal to make people
spend and take their money away. However, the consumers try to resist the temptations to
buy and spend all their income. Whether it is a small object or an expensive one, employees
will try to sell it to you. Some go to the malls not intending to buy a single thing, but leave
with a bunch of things. This is the power of persuasion in which we all fall under. In some
stores, employees get a commission when they sell something so it is very important for them
to develop the skills of persuasion. How it compares to a battlefield is really simple, once you
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go through the entrance, you have to keep an eye out on your money and watch where, and
how much you are about to spend. The other side does not really care about your needs, as
much as your money, that is why it is crucial to be careful. The security guards and
surveillance cameras are like the watchtowers on a battlefield, tracking the movements of the
enemy and reporting in. If they notice anything odd and unusual, they would send a troop to
deal with it. The alarm systems in each store are like the mines on a battlefield; if we step on
one we could be in danger, or in some cases, slip away. It is really hard for consumers to win
the war once they step in, because they are outnumbered and do not have many advantages
like the mall does. Malls have more soldiers, tools, and weapons while the consumers only
have their money, which could easily be taken away.
Analysis and Conclusion
Along with my group, I visited the Northridge Fashion Center and was able to survey
17 people in total. We asked basic questions such as: age, ethnicity, annual income, where
they came from, how often they came, and the purpose of their visit. From those surveyed, 10
were females while 7 were males. The most common age group we found was 18-24 and they
were all CSUN students. Since most were only students, we did not expect their annual
income to surpass 20,000 dollars. A lot of those we surveyed came from dual ethnic groups;
for instance, the majority were half White and half Latino. All of those we surveyed came
from Northridge and did not have to ride a long way to get there. As to why they visited, they
all had different reasons, however, CSUN students mostly came for lunch and to just hangout
while on their breaks. What we have noticed about the retail stores is that they are not really
high-end brands and not intended for rich people. The Northridge Fashion Center is intended
for middle-class families who can afford a lot of things but would also not spend crazy
money. According to the General Growth Properties Inc., the average household income of
the area is $79, 074, which fall under the middle-class category. The mall is also more
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welcoming to students because the CSUN campus is only 2 miles away, and offers a lot of
items for that matter. The fact that most people visiting the mall reside in Northridge shows
how it is being intended for them. People will only drive a long distances for shopping
centers that have a different style to them, such as the Americana and The Grove. Both
shopping centers offer high-end brands and fancy decorations, unlike the Northridge Fashion
Center, which is very basic and offers the common anchor, and retail stores.
In conclusion, malls such as the Northridge Fashion Center, are not aimed for rich
people, but they still manage to get consumers by providing them with different anchor
tenants, and designing malls to ease the course of shopping, and for them to be happy and
relaxed while doing so.
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Works Cited:
Davidson, Ronald A. "Parks, Malls, And The Art Of War." Yearbook Of
The Association Of Pacific Coast Geographers 73.(2011): 27-51. Academic Search
Premier. Web. 16 Feb. 2014.
"Menu Growing in Northridge DINING: Fashion Center Adding Two
Popular Restaurants to Selection." Daily NewsMar 06 2012. ProQuest. Web. 16 Feb.
2014.
By Adam Geller, Staff Writer. "THE SCIENCE of SHOPPING SECRETS
BEHIND a MALL'S DESIGN: All Editions.=.Sunday." The Record,
(1996): b.01.
Pelz, William. "Malls R Us (Review)." Film & History: An Interdisciplinary
Journal of Film and Television Studies, 40.2 (2010): 141-143.
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Peer Review Checklist
Your name:Yingzhao Chen
Name of writer being reviewed: Abdulla Al Remeithi
Title of paper being reviewed: The Northridge fashion battlefront
Please respond to each of the following questions in the corresponding text box.
Note that the boxes expand with your responses and detailed, specific, constructive
and thoughtful feedback is of the most help to the writer (and will also help you to
earn the fullest credit on this assignment). Once you are finished, save and either
copy and paste or upload and post this completed document as a response in your
group’s peer review forum.
What is the greatest strength
of this paper?
It has very good structure and its grammar is good. Pretty good essay.
Does the introduction grab
your interest and make you
want to read on? Explain
your answer.
Yes, because use his own words and life experience to make us feel very
familiar with what is talking about.
Does the conclusion “end
with a bang, not a whimper”?
Why or why not? If not, what
suggestions for revision can
you offer?
Is the organization of the
paragraphs effective? Are
there particular paragraphs
that might be rearranged for
best effect?
Is the argument clear? Is it
sustained throughout the
paper? If not, what
suggestions for revision do
you have to offer?
Does the essay meet the
assignment requirements
(Review prompt—e.g.,
respond to the prompt, follow
formatting requirements,
include quotations and a
works cited)? Is there
anything that needs to be
corrected prior to submitting
for grading?
Are there particular grammar
and style issues that need to
be addressed (e.g., run-ons,
transition issues, etc.)? If so,
please share them.
Where should the author add
more details or examples?
It has a good conclusion
Yes it is. No.
Yes, it is very easy for us to find the thesis,
stepping into one is like to
stepping into a battlefield
Yes, it has met the requirement
No, it has very good grammar
I think he might need to add some of his own experience to convince the
audience.
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Explain your answer.
What is your favorite part of
this piece of writing?
The beginning of the article.
What other comments might
you provide for the writer?
Did a good job, man