![Shoppers at the Mall of America. Some took advantage of school closures due to below zero temperatures. Retail hires had a strong showing in the latest jobs numbers. Thursday, January 23, 2014. ] GLEN STUBBE * gstubbe@startribune.com ORG XMIT: MIN1401231540341614](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/2MK7DIXQEBUCRER7WKLLMUMYEU.jpg?&w=1080)
I am not a conspiracy-minded kind of guy, but I think I might be on to something. After being forced to spend yet another day at home with my child because of the cold, I decided to make the most of it and run some errands. First stop was for coffee — except there was no place to sit, because high school kids from nearby Wayzata and Orono had filled all the tables. I took my coffee and headed to Ridgedale to visit the Apple store. After finally finding a parking spot, I realized my quick visit was going to take a while, since yet more high school students had packed the store. From Apple, it was over to Target, where it was as busy as on a weekend day. After running into three of my child's classmates, we headed to Lunds. Funny, there were no mini grocery carts for my child to use. When I inquired, the manager said they were all being used by other children.
After reading the stories of retail numbers being down and Target being forced to lay off workers, I am thinking these silly days off because of "cold" are being orchestrated by local retailers. It was apparently too cold for school but perfectly fine to shop.
