If you are an SF  bayFurs there are some notable things going on in terms of the shopping industry as inflation and a little bit of consumer sentiment is factoring closures-let's not forget online shopping as we do have to blame https://www.amazon.com to be the culprit of the quandry that is going on-

THE DEATH OF THE SHOPPING MALLS.😱

(cue discordant horror chord)

It would be clear enough that with how difficult now it is for department stores (BIG box), small business owners to have a shop, and even small box chain stores like Buckle ( https://www.buckle.com ) to do business-even furniture chain stores like Conn's ( https://www.conns.com/furniture NOW LIQUIDATING! ) are not immune. It has hurt us furries as fursuiters as sometimes, it is a place to hang out and have fun, especially during Halloween, and if the species is appropriate enough (like Reindeer for Christmas) or there is a costume for another holiday that is appropriate that you can wear for your fursuit-like Valentine's Day, the mall would be a good place to do it if it is not hostile. It's a good place if you don't have to go to a meetup, furbowl (if they are still around and separate from a mall), or even convention.

The crux here is business. If there is no business, then what is the use of the area for the management company to have rents collected, and to have special occasions that would be hosted by it? (Example-Westfield Properties: https://www.westfield.com/ ) Since there would be the major news of the continuous mall exodus going on by Macy's ( https://www.macys.com ) going to close more locations: https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/macy-s-is-shutting-down-even-more-stores-this-year-than-previously-announced/ar-AA1qG6ft?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=SMTS&cvid=920eec402d9945c184bb759f5e40cfac&ei=10 as it is one of the major US department stores along with JCPenney ( https://www.jcpenney.com ) and very young Kohl's ( https://www.kohls.com ) there will be many places going to be razed, converted to storage, of used as somthing else other than retail.

For me living in the East Bay, in San Leandro, there is now the small Bayfair Mall: https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/09.....ed-mall-space/ . Although there was news it was closed 2023, the leaving of Macy's did them in for good, and it just have 2 stores inside still operating as of now-there is now no way for any customer to use the mall to walk and transfer to other stores, and there is only 2 entrances for those 2 still in business. The ones outside are still operating-Old Navy ( https://www.oldnavy.com ) Kohl's, Target ( https://www.target.com ), Party City ( https://www.partycity.com ) and a few others with an entrance on the outside.

It is nearby Southland Mall ( https://www.southlandmall.com/en/ ) that you will have to go if you are dependent on Bayfair, but also Stoneridge ( https://www.simon.com/mall/stonerid.....-center/stores ). But even those are struggling as well as some do have had as a tenant, either Sears or KMart that are fading away under the owner of TransformCo ( https://transformco.com/ ) The demise of malls is not just in the US, but everywhere, of course as the consumer is liking what is online. Therefore, it can be less to do when we all go for meets, even dates to malls will go by the wayside. Sticking to the SF Bay Area, Richmond's Hilltop mall is a ghost area with just a gym ( https://www.24hourfitness.com ) and https://www.walmart.com . There's the news of Vallco Mall in Cupertino closed years ago: https://www.mercurynews.com/wp-cont.....-12.jpg?w=1860 (picture) and very soon, near San Francisco Internat'l Airport, Tanforan Mall will close: https://www.sfgate.com/local/articl.....d-16915374.php . One more if you are in Stockton, Sherwood Mall is a ghost edifice-it is now PLACE: https://www.recordnet.com/story/bus.....ll/8210120001/ .

So yes, 2020's are getting worse to go out shopping as some of the dollar stores are completely disappearing, and discount stores like Big Lots! ( https://www.biglots.com ) are, in terms of assessing the health of an individual at a hospital, "critical condition." So for all of you, we can't really blame COVID for axing some stores that have been around for hundreds of years-who remembers Montgomery Ward as a big box in the USA and at malls? ( It is now entirely online: https://www.wards.com/ ) They closed in the late 1990's/early 2000's, so already, there are problems since the Internet existed and WAY before the worldwide pandemic. I feel pessimistic that it will get any better.

So fursuiters, if you like being at the mall INSIDE in fursuit, you have limited options, and they are getting smaller year after year. So, you will have to option going to OUTSIDE OR STRIP MALLS/PLAZAS, and get ready for possible rainfall unexpectedly if you go on a set date. I would have to think that being at a NATURAL park would be the best way to meet other furs unorganized or unawares.

AND I FEAR THIS...

For those in tradition, you may say that with Macy's in problems now especially when they got permission to get Toys R Us ( https://www.toysrus.com/ ) to be in their stores and sell toys, they could go down (For Toys R Us- AGAIN.), and it would be harsh mistress that the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade held every 4th or final Thursday in November may be limited and can end. So if you do have interest in seeing it live, please make plans right away to go soon because time will tell when that fun tradition will cease in the future. Upcoming this year is #98....