WOULD DEPARTMENT STORES BE MISSED?
Gen Zs may be the last generation to experience heartland department stores, but I’m not sure they’ll miss them. My teenage girls never insisted on going to Isetan for anything specific. Their fashion go-tos are Uniqlo, Cotton On or simply online shopping.
For some older folks, though, department stores probably still hold meaning. My parents, now in their 70s, are less tech-savvy and not keen on browsing boutiques or online shops. They often think of Isetan Nex – their nearest department store – or OG, when they need clothes or shoes for festive occasions or wedding dinners. To them, department stores still promise better variety and quality, as they did in the past.
As department stores exit heartland malls, suburban malls feel increasingly cookie-cutter. Walk into any of them and you’ll see the same fashion lineups and fast food chains. The distinctiveness and sense of nostalgia that department stores once brought to malls has slowly faded away.
