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Omar Matiano
Professor Koning
English 113B
15 April 2014
Fashion Centers: Accommodation to the Community
Jaime Gough writes in Spaces of Social Exclusion, We have a configuration of self-
contained corporate office buildings with their own fast food and leisure facilities, other self-
contained and self-policing private shopping malls, private car parking lots, and a range of
privately owned places of leisure and sport [] the central iconic building[]is the shopping
mall itself(107). Many believe that the significance of malls are as simplistic as buying our
necessities, but there is a deeper meaning behind shopping centers. The Northridge Fashion
Center and Panorama Mall are representations of fortresses, a picture in which the poor are
excluded. Although both malls can be a fun place to socialize with friends after class is over,
many of us actually plan a visit to the mall at least once a month but fail to realize all of the
aspects that lead to the goals of the mall to get us to conduct all our dining and bargain hunting at
their centers. One of the main objectives of the mall is to try to appeal to the community by
connecting those though aesthetics, surveillance and social economics.
Before we can continue we need to get a visual understanding of what the Northridge
Fashion Center and Panorama Mall look like. Just to get a sense of timing I went to the
Northridge mall around 4pm and then visited the Panorama mall at roughly 6 pm. On my trip to
both malls I noticed that the Northridge Fashion Center is a 2 story complex building while the
Panorama Mall is only 1 floor. I found the light sources to be interesting at each mall. At the
Northridge Mall I noticed that most of the light source in the building comes from outside
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because their ceilings are glass see-though windows that let natural light illuminate inside while
the Panorama Mall uses lights during the day and night because their ceiling is closed roof. Both
the Northridge and Panorama mall offer plenty of free parking garages for the sizes of the mall
with the exception that Northridge has two structure units you can choose from while Panorama
Mall only has one parking structure to choose from although, there is a lot of parking to choose
from . Some of the anchor stores at Northridge include Macys, Sears, and Old Navy while at
Panorama Mall has stores like Wal-Mart and La Curacao.
However, with all the walking people are bound to get hungry or thirsty, this is where the
food courts come in. In the second floor of the Northridge mall is located a 15-bay Food Court
in which includes Italian, Japanese, American, Chinese, and Mexican food, perfect for the
diverse population. The Panorama Mall has similar types of food to choose from except it also
includes Mediterranean food. I noticed that both malls in the first floor have individual stores
located across the mall that sell small items like phone accessories, hair products, make up and
key chains. Both malls have glass windows that light up on their products that make the place
look fashionable and expensive. As we know most parties have a theme, the Northridge and
Panorama mall did not seem to have a theme going on. It looked as if they were going for a
classic look. The walls are white with marble walls and flooring that makes the place look fancy.
The Northridge Mall has a hidden elevator next to a jewelry store and escalators throughout the
shopping center to make it easier to navigate. As for the Panorama Mall, the walls are light
mustard yellow with similar flooring from Northridge Mall. The Panorama Mall is still trying to
expand and recently added about 12 new stores. Now that we have an overview of what the malls
look like now we can talk about the significance of these spaces.
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In the eyes of the casual observer, people would argue that the Northridge Fashion Center
and Panorama Mall were made just to create revenue through the distribution on fashion
products because we assume people go to spend money. Whenever we need a new wardrobe the
first place that we love to go is the mall because that is its function, right? However, Lewis
George writes in The Mall and the Value of Social Interaction, the mall is one of the few
places teenagers can go in this society where they are-albeit reluctantly-allowed to stay without
being asked to leave" (316). Meaning fashion centers are also seen as places to relax and
socialize with friends and family, thanks to not being charged fees to enter the mall. Whenever
we are bored and have time on our hands the mall is usually one of the options to choose, but
why? It is because its full of entertainment to keep us busy for hours and hours like the movie
theaters. I remember in high school my friends and I would go to the mall to kill time. We would
spend hours just relaxing, talking, eating and window shopping even though sometimes we
didnt have money. It is also a perfect place to express our fashion trends and pick out any
wardrobe we like, buy it, and wear it because we think retailers come equipped with clothing of
all shapes and sizes.
Have you ever felt discriminated against because you dont look the way society portrays
how people should look like? Most people would argue that they do not feel discriminated when
they go shopping but in fact welcome. Some people would say that malls are perfect for anyone.
The Northridge Mall and Panorama mall reinforce the stereotypes that only young, popular and
good-looking people can shop at malls. What is the first thing that you visualize when we hear
shopping centers? The first thing that comes into my mind is good looking peppy teenage girls.
Our society loves to relate shopping to women but questions arise when designers only want
attractive people wearing their clothing lines. In an article entitled Why are Fashion Models so
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Thin? the writer argues, Fashion models are thin largely because of the way designers want
their clothes to be displayed during the marketing process. They also appeal to a number of
positive concepts members of society hold, with thinness acting as a means to feel better or
acquire something desirable. Commercial stores like Macys, Old Navy and Sears only show
models in their commercials. Stores like Forever 21 only want specific girls wearing their
clothes. The largest size in shirts that they have is large and if they do have large then you will
find a small quantity of them. I get tons of shopping magazines in the mail each month and I
noticed that a lot of the models there are good-looking with toned healthy looking bodies. Ashley
Mears argues in Why Thin Is Still In that its in your everyday mail-in catalogues and
commercial advertising, and in posters for designers affordable diffusion lines, which are aimed
at the mass market. Its at the couture and high-end collections where size zero models are put to
work. So where am I leading with this?
Have you ever felt like you did not belong to a particular group? Remember in high
school where the cool kids would hang out, the jocks, the rockers and then there was you and
your group of people. It was sort of like a force field when you tried to hang out with someone
that was cool because you would feel like you did not fit in. The Northridge Fashion Center and
Panorama Mall both try to implement the exclusion of some people from the mall. Jamie Gough
writes in Spaces of Social Exclusion, The Disneyfied city centre shopping malls become no-go
areas for those classified as not belonging, by virtue of their credit rating or their ethnic
background (120). The majority of the department stores that we see are American stores.
Well what constitutes a store to be American? A store can be considered American if it
implements the American culture, fashion, entertainment, and high end goods in which the
superior people are include. An example of this if the Glendale Galleria, which is a highly
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prestigious shopping center, made particularly for the rich making the poor feel intimidated. The
Northridge Fashion Center does not want any poor people going in their stores because they are
not superior enough to be representing their clothing. Some of the clothing is placed in real
expensive boutiques that are difficult for the average person to buy. Also if people entering the
mall are not wearing the appropriate clothing then people would look at them like they do not
belong there. Some of the prices that the clothing has are really expensive. If you are one of the
persons that check the tag to see the price then chances are that you have a budget on how much
you can spend and that particular store might not be for you. I know I am one of those people
that constantly check to see if I am getting a good deal so a high end store might not be suitable
for me.
Furthermore, some people think that they have control of what the latest fashions are.
They can choose what they want to wear but do not control the latest fashion. Fashion is depicted
on what celebrities and the media think if the new look. The same way the media influences us
on what to wear, so do shopping centers. How you may ask? Certain stores around the mall have
a display window in the very front entrance that have an idea of how you should be dressed to fit
in with the crowd. That is usually the more expensive clothing that is considered popular.
Whenever I pass by these display windows I am always so tempted to buy those clothings
because they look appealing. The items grab the attention of the customer which will lead them
to trying it on. The shopping malls changing outfit rooms have dim lights so that when you try it
on you might think that it looks good on you and will be more inclined to buy it. I remember
buying a shirt at a department store because I thought that it looked good on me, I got to the
house where I got a better view and I realized that it was not a shirt that appeared to be pleasant
for my sense of style.
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In addition, the environment as a whole can make people shop there more often. As a
matter of fact, one of the ways that a fashion center makes people want to come back is through
aesthetics. If it looks nice then the amount of people coming in will be more significant as
oppose to a run-down mall. The architect takes all the aspects to make it as comfortable as
possible for the visit of the consumers. The Northridge Mall has a fountain located in the middle
of the mall to make it look highly attractive. First impressions can impact the sales of the
consumers because the consumers know they value them, thus increasing sales. For me, first
impressions are important because it can determine the type of mall it will be. A great analogy of
first impressions is sort of like meeting your boyfriend of girlfriends parents for the first time. If
they like you then you will feel welcome and relaxed but most importantly you would have
presented yourself in a professional matter. I really liked that they had a fountain at the
Northridge Mall because I know that they require a lot of money to keep pumping clean water.
With this in mind the owner is spending money to make the customer feel happy by making
them feel appreciated so I knew they cared about their customers. This meant that they set
standards on keeping the place nice and clean. Once in a while I would see janitors go around to
empty trash bins and pick up trash the customers would leave behind. We often can really judge
a person by how they treat their bathroom; if it looks dirty then sanitation may not be important
to them. The bathroom at the Northridge Mall was very clean and it seemed as the janitors were
constantly working to keep it looking clean. Not too long ago I visited a Mexican restaurant
whos atmosphere was excellent but once I got to the bathroom, it was dirty, had graffiti and
looked like a janitor had not cleaned it in a whole week. This of course made me not want to
return to the store. Aesthetics make people want to come, why else would people brag about
eating at an expensive restaurant. Although the fountain is unnecessary it makes the space look
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more elegant. In an article titled Go to the Mall and Get It All: Adolescents Aesthetics Value in
the Shopping Mall, it says that 30 percent of 30 high school students found the fountain in their
particular mall to be attractive because of its unique vertical ribbons of water.
On the other hand, security guards are also a key component to the success of a shopping
center. Sometimes they are in disguise but you can ultimate identify exactly who they are, by
their shirts that typically have a black and white logo that labels them as a securities. They keep
the people safe by roaming around the mall looking for suspicious activity that interferes with
the shopping experience of the customer. In a recent survey that my peers and I conducted that a
total of 23 out of 24 people felt safe shopping at the Northridge Fashion Center due to the fact of
the amount of security that the shopping center offered. Ever noticed those signs that say
Smile, you are on camera, well those are intended to warn the poor off from stealing or
vandalizing their property. I might have counted at least 5 signs while visiting the malls not
including the ones inside each individual store. If there is a conflict between people the securities
will most likely soon arrive. Cameras play a huge part in keeping thefts away. When I was in
elementary school I would always be so tempted to steal from the merchant stores that sold
candy but thanks to the cameras it kept me from taking anything. These cameras are in many
different location of the store and spy on us. There will always be a security on watch making
sure the people are safe.
My group and I had a wonderful experience with the Northridge Mall securities. My
group and I went into the Northridge Mall to observe it and engage customers to take surveys to
get a better understanding of the community centered around the Northridge Mall. We started off
really good getting 24 surveys within a half-hour. I then started to notice the security walk
around the mall like if something suspicious was going on. There was 2 security guards walking
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together and following us wherever we went. It made it difficult for them to keep track of all of
us because we had split up. We then as a group reunited and it was then and there that they took
advantage and stopped us all. They understood that it was only for a school project but
unfortunately they made us stop because we were not allowed to survey people. We refused and
kept of surveying people because this was really important information that needed to be
conducted. Thanks to the cameras they were keeping an eye on us and were confronted once
again by the security except this time we were then escorted out of the building. In the securities
mind the mall was not benefiting from us and most importantly we were disrupting the people
from buying things. The security guards at the Northridge Mall are stricter about the disturbance
of customers. The security guards at the Panorama Mall are more lenient and are stationed in
their booth just sitting watching the cameras.
Have you ever noticed how malls are becoming more diverse than ever before? I never
really paid attention to ethnicity at shopping centers and when we decided to go visit the mall
and conduct surveys I started to see all the types of people that visit the mall on a day to day
basis. My question now is what if malls only target the white community? If the malls do not
change and fit the needs of other peoples demands then the mall would soon collapse. The
Northridge Fashion Center has blossomed with success over the years, but how? The culture in
Northridge is very diverse and welcoming to most ethnic populations. In an article by Jonas,
Iliana titled Shopping Malls Cater to Shifting Ethic, Age Demographic, Iliana argues that some
old fashion malls are a bunch of guys trying to build for a (white) world thats no longer
growing. But there are those individuals out there that are seeing the growth in different ways.
They are picking it apart and making some big money off of it. So the owners that become
adapted to their new environment will survive and those that do not change their ways of
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advertising to only the white population will not be as successful. This means that the type of
stores that are located in malls also vary on the type of people centered throughout the
community because it would not make any sense to place stores specifically made for teenagers
around an elder population. For example, if a mall was placed around Hidden Hills where the
majority is rich elder people then a Zumiez or Forever 21 would not be appropriate. The
Northridge community is very diverse meaning that you see all types of people from Latin,
Black, White, Asian and Middle Eastern. The mall has tried to appeal to them the best that they
can by making them feel welcome such as hiring workers from different backgrounds.
Have you ever had that feeling that you do not belong to a particular group? Such as the
analogy that I used before about being excluded from hanging out with cool people, being in a
crowd that you feel you do not belong to can be quite uncomfortable for any person. At the
Panorama Mall you will not see many white people. Like Jonas said, either the shopping malls
accommodate to the community or it will not work for the best of them. Thats because
Panorama Mall is targeting the Hispanic community. The majority of the population is Hispanic
so it makes sense that they try to appeal to them. This means that they have to contain clothing to
their attire preference. Jonas, Iliana says in Shopping Malls Cater to Shift Demographics,
Transforming malls has a lot to do with marketing, including using bilingual staff, sending out
direct mail in both English and Spanish, and hosting events like Mexican Independence Day. It
is important that employees at the Panorama Mall be bilingual in Spanish and English because
that is the common language used around that area. In fact most stores are only hiring bilingual
people. Jeremy Sierra argues, When customeremployee interaction is high, both cognitive
(e.g., beliefs, symbolic meaning) and emotive factors are strong predictors of consumer choice.
Anticipated emotions inuence credit card use. This will increase the sales of the store because
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if a person feels happy and welcomed in their language then they might buy something because
they might feel like their presence is wanted. From personal experience I have bought something
from a store because the employees were so nice to me. I felt guilt that if I had left without
buying anything then I would have wasted their time. Some of the malls are even trying to adopt
culture into malls to feel certain type of people welcome. For example, holidays. The Panorama
Mall not too long ago celebrated a very traditional Mexican holiday called Cinco de Mayo or the
Fifth of May. Days before it was held, flyers were being passes around encouraging people to
bring friends and family to enjoy mariachi music and games. Some of the decorations included
colorful honeycombed balls of different colors, traditional ponchos and hats.
In addition, malls will lure in a specific social class to shop at a particular space through
socio economics. Not everyone is rich or poor so some malls may not be for them. Northridge
mall in particular is more towards middle class. There are not that many designer companies
located at the Northridge Mall but there are a few, while the Panorama Mall does not have any.
Comparing the social level of the Northridge Mall to Panorama Mall, the Northridge Mall is
located in a better community. Panorama Mall is located in a very low income community where
some people are just trying to get good deals on clothing. The majority of the people that you see
at there are Hispanics; in particular Mexicans. There are a couple of discount shoe and clothing
stores in the Panorama Mall which are perfect and affordable. I even picked out a few things for
my wardrobe while I visited. I noticed that you get treated better when you go to higher end
stores because you are seen as higher class. If designer stores like Coach or Versace are built in
the Panorama Mall then most of the Hispanic community in the area would not be shopping there
because it would be too expensive. They used to have an Aeropostale store there but not that
many people were buying from them because it was either too expensive or it did not fit the
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clothing attire for the people. The people of that community dress in a more relaxed feel attire,
like the males for instance would wear normal dark blue jeans and a regular colored shirt with a
design and inexpensive shoes that can be bought at a payless while the women would wear
blouses, dresses, or skirts and open toed sandals . Aeropostale eventually ran out of business and
had to move elsewhere. Its these little types of details about ethnicity at the malls that we need
to pay attention to next time we go shopping.
In conclusion, although malls can seem like places to socialize and have fun, there are
many aspects that set the mall as the luxurious places to visit. Both of the malls have
accommodated to fit the needs of the community. The Northridge Fashion Center accommodated
into pleasing their prime targets, teenage middle class, into making the right choice to choose the
Fashion Center over other Malls around the area while Panorama tries to bring in the primarily
the Hispanic community. The aesthetics, surveillance, and socioeconomics are vital to the
success of malls. The next time that we go to the mall we need to pay attention to all of the detail
that the designers, architects, researchers and owners do into constructing and placing the mall in
their location. Now that you know more about the Northridge Fashion Center and Panorama
Mall, how does your local shopping center reflect your community?

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Works Cited
Coughlan, Anne. Soberman David. Strategic Segmentation Using Outlet Malls. Insead. 12
March 2004. Web. 26 February 2014
Gough, Jaime. Spaces of Social Exclusion. Routledge.2006. Web. 4 March 2014
Jonas, ILaina. Shopping Malls Cater to Shifting Demographics NY Times. 27. November
2012. Web. March. 2 2014
Serra, Jeremy. Michael Hyman. Outlet Mall Shoppers Intentions to Purchase Apparel: A Dual-
Process Perspective. Department of Marketing, McCoy College of Business
Administration. 23 March 2011.Web 27 February 2014.
Stokrocki L. Mary.Go to the Mall and Get it all: Adolescents Aesthetics Values in the
Shopping Mall World Councilor for the International Society of Education through Art
[InSEA]. Web 27 February 2014
Mears, Ashley. Why Thin Is Still In. Savage Minds Organization. 29 October 2010. Web. 30
April 2014
Why are Fashion Models so Thin Wise Geek Organization Web. 3 March 2014