In recent years, many small local shops have closed because customers travel to large shopping centers or malls to do their shopping. Is this a positive or negative development?

Nowadays, many small department stores are no longer in existence because people commute to large shops and malls to buy what they need. I believe

this

is a positive development as malls usually have varieties of goods and sell only registered products. Purchasing of items at malls is easier as it reduces the stress of patronising many outlets on different streets for varieties of goods.

This

is because a large store is a one-stop-shop for the purchase and consumption of all items desired.

For instance

, more than eighty (80) per cent of small shops in my community, sell the same brand of baby diapers as their neighbours.

This

makes it difficult for nursing mothers' in that locality to make various choices. But since Shoprite supermarket was opened, very close to our locality 4years ago, many of the little outlets has closed down because they could not satisfy the needs of their consumers anymore.

Furthermore

, aside the varieties of items possess by large stores, all products sold there are registered by appropriate government agencies.

This

major reason gives consumers the confidence of being able to trace the source of

such

a product if there is any challenge.

For example

, a bag of local rice made by Festus Group of Company was discovered to have expired. The company was traced through the label on the pack, it was sanctioned and the circulation of the rice was stopped. In conclusion, an increase in the closure of small shops is a welcome development because departmental stores usually have more goods and their products are registered with the appropriate authority.