DS and I went to Magnolia Mall earlier.
It's a bigger place than I thought with TONS of stuff (I didn't buy anything). It is basically set-up like a flea market where owners have booths (30-35 booths?) to sell their stuff. But, there is one register where you pay, so the booth owners are not there (the price tag lists the booth #).
There were 9 security monitors at the front register for the 9 cameras around the "Mall." Yes, there was a sign to leave your purse in the car (which I'd done) and there are lockers right when you walk in to leave your purse and then you take the locker key out on a wrist-band key chain. When DS and I went in, we were the only "customers" and the very nice elderly man who worked there, asked if we needed help with anything. I said we were just browsing. And he said, ok, I'm gonna go check the mailbox and I'll be right back and walked out the front door. Guess we looked pretty honest!
There were sale signs all over the place -- 30% off booth 8; 50% off booth 11 (not real booth numbers), etc. There was one booth that had a booth for rent sign for $149/mnth. and even that was marked down to $119/mnth. Since this was our first time there, I don't know if it's standard to have so many sale signs.
So, DS and I just wandered around looking at stuff (with me saying "please, don't touch" every 2 mins. or so). Then we were getting ready to leave and I started chatting with the gentleman, first about kids cuz he commented on how cute kids are at DS age (3yo) and how they talk so much and then when they become teenagers they never want to talk (he was very nice).
I asked about the lockers for purses since I've never seen them before. He said, well it makes it easier for shoppers so they don't have to carry them around or worry about large purses. Then he said, well that's what we tell people, but really it's cuz people try to steal things...
I asked if he was the owner, he said no (and nothing else about the owner) and that he had worked there for 10 years since it opened.
I was gonna chat with him more, but a couple came in and was asking a bunch of questions about buying something and DS was ready for lunch so we left and went to KFC.