In many countries small shops and town centers are going out of business, because people tend to drive to the large out-of-town stores. This results in an increase in car use, and it also means that people without cars have limited access to out-of-town stores. Do you think advantages of such development outweigh its disadvantages?

As a result

of urbanization, cities are now surrounded by suburbs, and these areas often feature a large mall or shopping centre. The concentration of products in

one

location make these retail outlets attractive destinations for consumers, who almost without exception drive to them. Despite the benefits of these all-in-

one

locations, there are some notable drawbacks that should be considered. Beginning with the positive aspects, it is clear that a gigantic mall offers more choice to the consumer.

Moreover

, the large chain stores that populate these shopping centres generally offer cheaper prices due to economies of scale.

A

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Further

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further

convenience is that a considerable amount of the population resides in suburban zones, so these large shopping centres are actually closer to people than traditional stores situated in the central business district.

Nevertheless

, there are some highly undesirable effects of

this

situation. For

one

, large stores and malls are operated by monolithic corporations who run small shop owners out of business, while not returning much to the local community. In fact, Walmart,

one

of the largest mega-stores in the United States receives a massive amount of government welfare, while locally-owned businesses are forced into bankruptcy and even Walmart employees are paid minimum wage and often rely on government handouts. Not to mention, the almost ubiquitous practice of driving to malls and large chain stores puts a strain on local transport infrastructure, increasing traffic congestion and contributing to air pollution. Overall, while having everything available in

one

location is undeniably convenient, the harm to local communities is

similarly

clear. As the saying goes, ‘You can’t have your cake and eat it too’, and in

this

instance

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,

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it seems that the benefits of large stores

is

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are

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outweighed by the economic and social harm they cause.