25 Things Everyone Did At The Mall In The 90s And 2000s That Nobody Does Anymore
I worked in a mall in high school and it was exactly like the movies, which almost never happens with anything. The food court smelled the same way every single day, there was always someone walking laps who wasn’t buying anything, and the security guards knew everyone by name. The mall had a whole ecosystem to it that I don’t think people who grew up after it peaked really got to experience the same way.
The people watching alone was worth the trip. These days, malls are either dead or they’ve turned into something unrecognizable, but for a solid stretch of the 90s and 2000s they were the place to be on a Friday night with ten dollars and nothing else going on.
1. Waited outside a store while your parents shopped somewhere boring.
2. Ate a Cinnabon that was bigger than your head.
3. Rode the coin-operated horse or car outside the grocery store entrance.
4. Bought a CD from Sam Goody or FYE before even listening to it.
5. Walked laps around the mall with friends with nowhere specific to go.
6. Ate an Orange Julius like it was a religious experience.
7. Walked past Victoria’s Secret and pretended not to look.
8. Tried on sunglasses at Sunglass Hut with no intention of buying anything.
9. Spent 45 minutes in Spencer Gifts looking at things you couldn’t explain to your parents.
10. Spent an hour at the arcade with a cup of tokens.
11. Got a Claire’s ear piercing.
12. Got a free sample at the food court and then disappeared.
13. Sat on the edge of the fountain and maybe threw a penny in.
14. Tried every lotion at Bath and Body Works until your hands smelled like seventeen things.
15. Got sprayed with perfume by a Macy’s employee without consent.
16. Browsed every single case at the phone accessories kiosk.
17. Went to Hot Topic just to feel something.
18. Got your picture taken in a photo booth with your best friend.
19. Watched the pet store puppies through the glass.
20. Played every demo game at Electronics Boutique or GameStop.
21. Got a temporary tattoo from a kiosk and felt cool.
22. Begged your parents for something from the Sharper Image.
23. Got lost and had to meet your parents at the food court.
24. Bought a poster from a poster kiosk that fell off your wall within a week.
25. Stayed until the mall closed and got kicked out by security.
