Shopping throughout my lifetime has sure changed. Like you, I have seen the evolution of shopping go through many stages.

When we were younger, most every community had a general store or at least a local grocery store that carried more than just food items. They also had hardware and some stores even sold clothing and shoes.

Most of us lived near a town that was the hub of the shopping communities in the region. Most every county seat and some other incorporated towns had clothing stores, shoe stores, furniture stores, jewelers, restaurants and much more.

Many small-town shopping venues faded away when large shopping malls began to form and take over businesses. We can identify with this in towns like Williamson, Inez, Kermit and others. I am sure most of you remember some of the places you and your family shopped.

A lot of them were family-owned businesses like Cantees Department Store in Williamson or Thornton’s in Kermit.

Shopping malls changed the way people bought clothing and other items.

They also became the hangout for local teens and even adults. Most had a multiplex movie theater and other stores that catered to the younger generation.

When I was a teen, we cruised downtown Williamson. The next generation would cruise the local mall.

As popular as the malls became, we have now seen another evolution with them. They are in decline all across the United States. If you go to a mall now, many of the storefronts are empty and boarded up.

Some towns, like Charleston, West Virginia, are remodeling their malls into sports complexes.

With the emergence of the internet and online shopping, people no longer find it necessary to go out to small towns or malls to shop. They can order about anything they want online. You can even purchase a vehicle online.

I am sure many of you did your Christmas shopping online like so many others do these days. It’s easy to find items and they ship them right to your front door.

Even grocery shopping is starting to change. If you want (I am still not to this point) you can order your food items online and go pick them up in designated parking areas in front of the stores. Employees will take your grocery list and shop for you.

Some larger stores are even doing your grocery shopping and now delivering them to your house.

Talk about an evolution of the way people shop.

I am sure many of you never thought that small-town retailers would disappear. Then once you started going to larger malls, with all of their choice of stores, you thought this was the future. But malls are dying and disappearing in every state.

You lose the interpersonal relationship by shopping online. In years past, you probably knew the store owners and many of their employees. They were there with a smile and ready to assist you.

Even the malls, although most of those businesses were larger chain stores, hired local people and you got to know some of their sales representatives and staff.

Now you are talking and shopping with a computer via the interpersonal internet. Businesses like Amazon are your “friend.”

The brick and mortar stores are not as common in today’s world. The culture of American malls went hand in hand with being with friends and around lots of people.

But for those with social anxiety, it’s much easier to shop online. You do not have to clean up and can stay in your sweats or pajamas and shop from the comfort of your couch.

I do not see this trend changing any time soon. Even ordering takeout is changing with services like DoorDash in some areas that will deliver your food right to your front door. Nowadays, you do not even have to go out and get your takeout order.

I prefer to go pick up and buy my own groceries. If I buy clothes, I like to touch the fabric and maybe even try them on. I guess I am just old-fashioned, but I will probably have to change my shopping habits soon. With so many stores and even entire malls closing – I may have no choice but to resort to online shopping.

However, as my wife Vicki said, they will have to take me kicking and screaming into this modern consumer era.

Until next time.

(Kyle Lovern is a longtime journalist in the Tug Valley. He is now a retired freelance writer and columnist for the Mountain Citizen.)