ChestCrafters
For as long as I can remember there has been stores that sell sunglasses, shoes and clothes at the mall. Back in the day… anything you needed, you could find at the mall. The Wal-Mart and Target domination had not yet dug in its claws into modern retail.
Along came Lenscrafters in 1983. Lenscrafters was the eyeglass wear store that provided “glasses in about an hour” at the mall. If you needed glasses, just take in your prescription, pick your frames and BAM! Glasses in about an hour.
Through a logical evolution, Lenscrafters started placing Eye Doctors (Optometrist) right on site and they turned into an combo Eye Care / Eyeglass wear store. No longer did you need to make two different stops.
I was recently walking through my local mall and I noticed a disturbing trend. Many of America’s malls have started to fill their kiosks and storefronts with elective medical procedures locations. I guess this was the next logical progression in the modern retail and service industries.
During a quick stroll around the mall I spotted a Lenscrafters, a Lasik Vision Correction Center, A “well check-up” family doctor, Varicose Veins treatment place, A dental center that specializes in porcelain venire caps and a hair replacement studio for balding men. Almost every one of these “medical” locations accepted all major insurance carriers or were elective procedures that wouldn’t be covered under insurance anyways. Drive-Thru Medicine has arrived in middle America.
This trend got me wondering what we will see next at the mall. It won’t be long before we start to see franchise chain Plastic Surgery clinics at your local mall. These high dollar value, vanity procedures are very profitable. It won’t be long before you can drop your A-cup wife off at ChestCrafters and pick your transformed Double-D wife in about an hour.
Gotta love capitalism!
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