China loves being "est". Biggest, tallest, widest, highest, all words spoken proudly in China to describe buildings, dams, bridges and anything else that a superlative adjective can be applied to, and this includes shopping malls. Although Beijing's Golden Resources Mall is 6 million square feet and six stories tall, it doesn't quite qualify as the biggest.

In 2005, Dongguan in South China's Guangdong province boasted the world's largest shopping mall. Unfortunately its 6.5 million square feet didn't draw enough customers and most of its shop space remained boarded up. It closed in 2008.

The soon-to-be biggest mall in the world will be in, where else, Dubai, and will sport an ice skating rink in the desert among its many offerings. All over the world, gigantic malls are springing up. But as the economic winds blow chilly wherever one goes, it is time to take stock of how we spend our money and where. Supporting small, local businesses adds the human dimension to what is an impersonal exchange in the mega stores.

I visited the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota, last Christmas, expecting to find crowds to rival China. At 4.2 million square feet, it remains a destination for millions of eager shoppers each year.

Its logo, a bright neon star on top of waving stripes creates a sense of vastness and excitement - of wide open spaces where the buffalo roam. Indeed, it is estimated that if one spent 10 minutes at each store, it would take 86 hours to see them all.

In the center is a full-scale amusement park and if that isn't interesting enough, you could try the Adventure Aquarium, the Dinosaur Museum or the NASCAR Motor Speedway. Restaurants are too numerous to count and major department stores take up vast amounts of space. Arcades and theaters add to mix.

There are many hotels nearby because groups come from all over the world to shop for days here. Chinese groups are joining them with increasing frequency.

But I found the place nearly empty. The only stores doing big business were the Apple computer store and American Girl - a store totally devoted to dolls and their accessories.

It is reported that China will soon build seven of the ten biggest malls in the world. This is exciting news, perhaps, but the experiences of Dongguan and the Mall of America might make the developers pause.

Is biggest the best? More importantly, is it the wisest at this time?

What seemed like unstoppable consumerism just a year or two ago has turned into a meltdown and people are clutching their wallets close to them.

It would be better to strive to be the best, not the biggest. Big stores cannot compete with a shop where you are greeted in a friendly way and people seem to care about serving you as well as giving you good value for your money.

I bypass the big shops to buy flowers from the guy on the street. I love the extra flower he always includes and I was able to share his joy when his second son was born. I patronize the small grocer who recognizes me and replaces anything she doesn't deem fresh enough in my basket.

Each smile exchanged as we buy and sell creates hope that we will all come through these difficult times heartened by each other's support.

Many of the biggest companies are closing their mega mall doors. I am ready to exchange the chaos and confusion of what is biggest for a less mind-boggling, more user-friendly, atmosphere. Wonder if any future developers will agree with me?

(China Daily May 6, 2009)