Walden Galleria — Attraction in Town of Cheektowaga

RACIAL PROFILING ⚠️ I’m a second year student at Canisius University. I went shopping to FYE with my friends (all of us are Hispanic) The cashier didn't provide a receipt for my friend's purchase due to a technical issue with the machine, he just bought a small funko keychain. For my order he did give me a receipt but he was charging me for a bag so I told him that I didn’t need one. And I put the two things that I bought inside my backpack. Later, When we went out to shop at hot topic, two police officers came inside the store and told us to “go out because they didn’t want people to look at us and cause a scene” they put us outside of the store and asked us if we were at FYE and that people saw us put stuff in our bags. My friend told him that the cashier didn’t give him a receipt and he showed his paypal payment to him. As for me, the other police officer told me “so young lady, how old are you?” and proceeded to ask for my ID, not even my receipt. I didn’t give him my ID, I just gave him the receipt and showed him the two things that I bought, when I was getting them out of my bagpack he said “is that what you stole?” And I said, “I payed for them, is on the receipt, I didn’t ask for a bag because I didn’t need it” and he kept insisting that I stole something “anything else on that bag?”. Then the FYE employee came, and my friend told her the same thing, that the cashier didn’t give him a receipt for his keychain because the machine had a malfunction and the lady said “that’s not what happened, is impossible that it gets stuck, I was there” and my friend told her “ok let’s go back to the store then” and she said “no, I will call my co worker” she called him, and he told her the truth, that the machine malfunctioned. The police officers questioned the employee about who had witnessed the alleged theft, but she couldn't provide any names. “so what did they steal?” She went mute again and said “people saw you put stuff in your bags” and the police checked my friends shopping bags from other stores and the employee saw that NOTHING WAS STOLEN. The police told her “so who saw them?” She didn’t say anything and apologized for the scene she caused in front of Hot topic and the police did the same thing. Upon returning to hot topic, we felt uncomfortable because the employees were following us around and watching us. This ruined our shopping experience and whole trip. Even if the police said “they didn’t want to cause a scene” everybody outside of the store was stopping and looking at us. It was humiliating. I will never go back to this mall and to this FYE store. My friend’s girlfriend said that when they were paying for the keychain, the employee that accused us, was staring at them weirdly. This white employee discriminated Hispanic people and students, and the police did too and will pick and choose to ask for age and ID. This experience has left us deeply disturbed and with a strong belief that we were racially profiled and discriminated against based on our ethnicity and...

I would like to start off by saying... WHAT A BIG DISAPPOINTMENT this mall is. On July 12, 2023 our team decided to plan a day of shopping at Walden Galleria Mall. The mall was a dessert, it was about 1 pm and the store were lacking customers. The staff in most of the store could care less about offering any type of customer service, not even hello upon entering. The products were all sub standard if compared to the Canadian malls near by. The biggest disappointment was the food court. The BURGER KING at this mall was the most dysfunctional Burger King we ever went to. The staff was rude and completely out of touch with serving the customer. The Burger King staff members were on their phone, playing with their hair and gossiping with each other in front of waiting customers. When I noticed that our order was completely wrong, the male staff members blamed me for his mistakes and was yelling at us. The best part was the young female manager who was the definition of an UNEDUCATED PERSON. This manager was rude and appeared to have consumed some kind of narcotic before her shift. The female manager was not even aware of what her staff was doing. This female Burger King manager is the absolute worst food service manager I ever met. In closing, this Burger King location requires a total "Overhaul" . Burger King, if you are reading this I ask that you reply to this post and lets talk. This lack of customer service would never happen in Canada. A note to all Canadians, STAY AWAY FROM THIS MALL. The property is a gathering point for...

The decline in mall foot traffic can largely be attributed to overpriced retail offerings. As consumers become more budget-conscious and savvy, they're increasingly turning away from malls where inflated prices reign supreme. The rise of online shopping has provided a convenient alternative, offering competitive pricing and a wider selection without the hassle of navigating crowded malls.

Moreover, the shift towards experiential spending has diverted consumer interest away from traditional retail outlets. People are seeking more than just a transactional shopping experience – they crave entertainment, dining options, and engaging activities, which many malls fail to provide adequately.

Additionally, the emergence of fast fashion and discount retailers has reshaped consumer preferences, making pricey mall brands less appealing. Consumers are now prioritizing value and affordability over brand prestige, further contributing to the decline in mall patronage.

To revive interest in malls, retailers must adapt by offering competitive pricing, enhancing the overall shopping experience, and diversifying their offerings to meet evolving consumer demands. Otherwise, the trend of people avoiding malls due to overpriced retail is...