Presence

One  thing I think my topic relates to very well is the financial recession.  Less people are out shopping, and those that do venture out to their local malls often spend more time window shopping than driving the economy.

Watching customers as they avoid sales associates and really brings the condition of the area's financial hardships to light.  As I mentioned in my Methodology section, the city in which the store I observed is located was a former manufacturing based community.  While one major employer has opted to stay in the area, others have closed or relocated to states with other incentives, forcing employees to find work elsewhere or to take unemployment.

However, according to this article: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/36257858/ns/business-retail/, the past month's figures in sales (and retail especially), has been looking much more promising.  In fact, of all of the businesses mentioned, one in the article that is thriving is a sister-company to the one that I observed in.

Whether this reknewed hope for the retail industry affects the amount of people shopping, or the amount of people that allow themselves to be assisted is uncertain, but one can hope.

(Though, perhaps these improved sales figures were soley because of the presence of tax returns...)