Salem Center — Local services in Salem

In Store Pick-Up

"Please whatever you do don't ever, ever, ever make me pick up items that I have ordered online in the store again!" This is what I wrote in my comments section (or something close to that).

Why the drama you ask? Happy to tell you. Recently I found myself second in line for IN STORE PICK-UP.  There I was picking upl three items. "This is going to go way fast," I thought out loud to myself, clearly I was mistaken.  I stood there, and stood there, and stood there some more so grateful I was not the guy in the flannel shirt behind me carrying a huge cardboard box.

Time clicked tick-tock, the wrap around line of glad for IN STORE PICK-UP unwrapped. TEN minutes, 15 minutes, 30 minutes, and at 40 minutes clock watching became a rather unfavorable activity. I was on my last day to pick up and so I had to stay.

I can't even tell you what the lady in front of me was asking of the Associate. All we, as patrons were to do was provide ID and bring the information in the email that was sent that's it that's all . Then the Associate would take the information printed from the register, go in the back, grab your stuff, bring it out, hand it to you, and you leave. "Next."

Lady, 1st in line, did not care for her item. Just wasn't what she wanted. So she asked the Associate to  trade it for something else. "Well we'll have to do an exchange so since she was sure she didn't want it they did the exchange. Then there was a color thing.  Just could you go back and check?  This went on and on and then pulling different stuff out of a bag she asked, "Could you check on this cuz this color…." One by one by one at least six more items went through the Exchange. I had quit counting. The guy in the flannel shirt holding a huge cardboard box, silently shifting his weight from side to side wasn't smiling.

We didn't speak. The line once serpentine, was now just me, him, and the lady with the never-ending shopping bag. We looked ridiculous in our masks.

No longer clock watching, I was so grateful I was in 3-in heels, Finally, my turn. Laying out all my information neatly before her, she actually said, "We usually get a printout, like a copy of your email." Placing my oversized smartphone so she could easily scan the information, I then handed her my driver's license followed by my Macy's card. Showing me my info printout she told me actually everything she needed was in the information she scanned. And then she asked, "Now...

Update I've been here a few more times since my first review below. They are always closed or almost closed at such early hours in the day when we try to plan to go and this is getting extremely annoying! They're closing at 5pm on new years eve, a Tuesday! But they're open until 7pm tomorrow on an actual holiday??? How does that make any sense? Most people get off work at 5 so they clearly don't want business during the week and think it's ok to rush the shoppers who fund their business. Their hours are so unpredictable and confusing that we rarely get to go due to our schedule. And yes, the homeless have definitely invaded the area, especially the parking garage and nothing is being done about that either. Another massive deterrent for general business... I have no idea who is in charge of this place, but as a business owner myself, this is just ridiculous. I'll be going to reliable malls outside of this city from now on who understand what the experience of going to the mall is supposed to be about.

A lot of the stores are closed. I went in here for the first time with my daughter and my husband, and we heard the security guards yelling at everybody about every little thing. They are complete jerks. And a lot of the salespeople at the stores are extremely pushy, insert themselves when theyre not wanted, and talk to you like you're an idiot. When you didn't even want or ask for their help. For a mall...this place is nothing special, that's for sure. Salem is just ghetto af anyway so what did...

Salem Center has a disappointing selection and has become a slum which fails to meet basic health and safety standards for the average shopper.

Mediocre store selection. Once deciding on a place to shop you'll be greeted with a poor selection and even poorer stock. Seems the only size they do carry is medium and you can save yourself the trip if you're looking for XS or XL.

Additionally, the environment of the mall is dirty and not family friendly. At each entrance and exit, including the sky bridges, you'll be met with panhandlers and unkempt persons sitting on the floors. All around the storefronts you'll see homeless lined up on the sidewalks, sleeping and muttering to themselves, walking up and down the streets. The stairwells and elevators and parking garages reek of urine. It has gotten to the point I feel completely unsafe from the moment I park until I am within the sanctuary of the stores and I cannot remember the last time I went to the mall alone because of this.

I have recently made my last trip to Salem Center as the problems above continue to worsen. Being a lover of shopping and spending, I will have to spend my time in Woodburn, Eugene, Portland, or Lincoln City to appease my needs and when those locations don't fit in my schedule my go-to will be online shopping. I will not return to the health and safety concern that is...