I have a new theory about retail. Auto races have pace cars that determine how fast the drivers can go. Shopping centers hire pace walkers -- folks who shuffle along four or five abreast at maddeningly slow rates of speed.
I'm not talking about people who walk malls for exercise, but rather the ones who saunter through retail meccas with their friends, talking about Facebook and how cute Emma's new shoes are and whether they should split a cinnamon roll.
Whenever you try to pass these groups, you're thwarted by cell phone kiosks or by crowds surging from the other direction. It's all part of an insidious plan: The slower you walk, the more likely you are to look into shop windows and think, "A pink spaniel with white spots? I should get one of those."
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