Chapter 9 | Behind the Scenes of Consumerism

During my senior year in college, along with this gig and this internship, I had a small cash flow through a marketing internship with Barton Creek Square Mall in Austin, TX. I sat at the front desk in the Mall Management Office - hidden deep in the innards of the building, with no windows or natural light - and served as a liaison between the mall and the individual stores.

People don't often think of it this way, but this mall is actually part of Simon Property Group, a property management company, and each store inside is a tenant. I helped secure paperwork from stores, publish their deals on our website, file their lease payments, and recruit them to participate and donate items for our larger mall-wide events. We hosted a "Mom's Night Out", a "Tim Gunn Fashion Show" (yes, Tim Gunn was actually there!), and of course Jolly Old Saint Nick for our "Breakfast with Santa" event. My biggest accomplishment was assisting with the mall's 30th Anniversary, which was a great success! 

I enjoyed learning the ins and outs and being a part of the details - from stuffing giveaway bags, to putting table tents out in the food court, I walked that mall hundreds of times and learned the secret staff-only shortcuts through the bleak back halls. I went into stores I hadn't been in for years like Build-a-Bear, Spencer's, Claire's, and Pottery Barn Kids and shamelessly enjoyed free teriyaki chicken samples and delicious pretzels from Auntie Anne's. It was definitely a fun atmosphere to go for work. The Security Team and Maintenance Crew were so kind!

It's been almost six years, but I still remember the names and faces of the small team in that back office. Like a little family, we would all watch The View in the Conference Room on our lunch break together which still makes me smile. The Marketing Manager and I were on a local TV segment featuring fashion trends at Dillard's. I think one time we modeled New Year's Eve dresses and another time we selected shoes and handbags for the segment. Those are just some of the highlights :)

I can't tell you the last time I was in a shopping mall, and honestly, it does make me cringe a little, thinking about all the clothing that is constantly being produced and marketed to our society. Nevertheless, this 9-month position gave me some helpful experience and I appreciated the inside look at what all goes into managing a mall with 150+ stores within 1.4 million square feet.

Bottom line, if you are ever in Austin, and it's raining or you're looking for a new outfit, this is the place to go...after all, it's where I first met the glories of LOFT.

Shop girl,

SJW