H&M, SHEIN, and Amazon—with the increase in online shopping, many have turned to such shops for its convenience and low prices. What happened to the original shopping tactic? 

Malls will always have a special place in my heart. Meeting up with friends, having fashion shows in the changing rooms, and stuffing our faces at the food court. Malls serve as a hotspot for many communities, bringing together all kinds of people at one single spot. Yet Coresight Research estimates that around 25% of malls will shut down in the U.S. by 2025. A significant cause of this primarily being COVID-19. When people were locked in their houses, online shopping’s popularity skyrocketed as it allowed people to shop from the comfort of their home. This practice continued even after the lockdown was lifted as it was more convenient to browse through hundreds of items than driving through traffic only to not find what you came for. However, what supplies these online sites brings up a problem: fast fashion.

Fast fashion not only harms our environment but also harbors horrible conditions for workers across the globe. Healthy Human Life states that fast fashion contributes to a tenth of carbon emissions and is the second most polluted industry for water. The cheap, unreliable methods to create these textiles cause leaks of toxic chemicals into waterways and produce more carbon emissions than air transportation. On top of that, the workers (this includes children) barely make enough money to support essential life necessities. When in the role of a customer, what are some ways to combat this issue?

For one, we can stop shopping at sites that use fast fashion and instead support local businesses. Malls can be the center of this; they have local businesses available in their complex. With this, the number of stores in malls also contributes to a city’s economy. As properties around a mall go up in value, so do the number of job opportunities for the public. The economical value of malls isn’t the only reason as to why we need to keep them, but the overall experience is just too good to let it fade away. As mentioned before, malls are the core for many get-togethers and act as a popular hangout spot. You can buy clothes, try new foods, play an arcade game, and even watch a movie. Especially with Black Friday coming up, I can’t wait for the rush of adrenaline upon entering a busy store. So instead of being stuck in your home numbly scrolling through clothes you don’t even know will fit, meet up with some friends and actually have a good time while shopping.

The views in this column do not necessarily reflect the views of the HiLite staff. Reach Safiya Ilmudeen at [email protected].