Remember when buying a screwdriver meant a 20-minute conversation about your cousin’s wedding? Small-town businesses in the 1960s operated on a currency we’ve mostly abandoned: knowing your customers by name. The butcher wrapped your meat in paper and gossip. The pharmacist delivered prescriptions to your door when you were too sick to pick them up. … Read more20 Small-Town Businesses People Remember from the 60s
Before side hustles got their own hashtag, they were called “making a little extra on the side” and usually involved your neighbor trying to sell you something at a party. The 1980s turned everyone into an entrepreneur whether they wanted to be or not. Your cousin sold Amway. Your aunt hosted Tupperware parties. That guy … Read more20 Side Hustles Folks Debated in the 80s
Thrift shopping used to mean finding a gently used sweater for three bucks and feeling like a genius all week. Now it means dodging resellers with barcode scanners, navigating stores that smell like a basement married a gym locker, and wondering why a chipped mug costs more than it did new. Colorado’s thrift scene has … Read more20 Worst Thrift Stores in Colorado
You know things are getting serious when your bargain hunt in Oregon requires a safety helmet and a calculator. Some dollar stores here are less “treasure hunt” and more “obstacle course with mystery pricing.” You expect aisles of deals. You get aisles of stacked boxes that look like a physics experiment. At a certain age, … Read more20 Worst Dollar Stores in Oregon
There comes a point in life when your knees should not hurt more than the customer service at your local big box store. By 50, you have survived dial-up internet, orange shag carpet, and New Coke. You should not have to survive checkout lines that move slower than dial-up. Some chains in Alabama seem to … Read more17 Worst Retail Chains in Alabama
Retail used to be about friendly clerks and free gift wrap; now it is about survival and self-checkout. You used to chat about grandkids while someone bagged your items. Now you argue with a blinking machine that thinks your bread is “an unexpected item in the bagging area.” You are better off negotiating a car … Read more17 Most Disappointing Retail Chains in Arkansas
California shoppers have mastered the art of dodging retail disasters like they dodge potholes on the 405. Some stores make you wonder if bankruptcy is contagious. Between safety violations that would make OSHA inspectors weep and customer service so bad it feels personal, the Golden State has become a graveyard for retail chains. These 17 … Read more17 Most Disappointing Retail Chains in California
Whoever said money can’t buy happiness clearly never went mall shopping in Texas with comfortable shoes. The Lone Star State treats shopping like a competitive sport. These malls come equipped with hotels because you’ll need somewhere to sleep between shopping marathons. Some locations offer valet parking, concierge services, and art collections worth millions. Your fitness … Read more15 Best Malls in Texas
Idaho’s relationship with shopping malls is practical, not passionate. When winter temperatures drop and summer heat climbs, a climate-controlled building with ample parking becomes genuinely appealing. The state’s malls survived the retail apocalypse that gutted centers elsewhere, mainly because they never aimed for the stars in the first place. You’re better off thinking of them … Read more15 Best Malls in Idaho
Some people collect stamps, others collect national parks; at a certain age, you start collecting dead malls. You remember when every fountain had coins, every anchor had crowds, and every trip had a pretzel. Now the biggest attraction is the climate controlled walking loop. You spot one store that has outlived three different department chains … Read more17 Worst Malls in Idaho