I absolutely hate malls, so I usually shop at my local farmers market. There's a nice little weekly street market where I live, which is where I get my fresh food. I try to avoid big brand foodstuffs and the market is one of the few places where you can find nice artisan products and local specialties. Contrary to malls, the vendors know their stuff so they always have a new specialty to try out, like a nice artisan cheese from a small local producer or a nice slice from a home made smoked ham.
There's also a local beekeeper who produces his own honey and honey liquor, a dude who produces his own donkey milk soap and a local butcher who sells his own animal products. You usually get good advice or new products to try out, like a wild boar salami, a raw milk sheep cheese or a homemade marmalade. If you're a regular, you always get good prices, the food is clean and there's no unnecessary packaging.
It also means you kinda have to go with the seasons, not everything is available all the time especially during winter, but that's kinda part of the charm for me. The atmosphere is always very relaxed if you go outside the usual rush hours and you get to try most of the stuff before you buy it. Most market vendors are pretty chill and they usually specialize on one kind of product which means they know all about the regional products, the way how they are produced and the philosophy behind them.
I rarely go home disappointed in a product, knowing that I got something that was crafted with care and love. I also learn something new each time I go there, be it the beekeeper keeping me up to date on the well-being of his honey-bees or the butcher telling me a story about the hunter who procured the boar, or the cheese vendor who's gushing over this new cheese that he discovered from a small local farmer in the Alps.
I wish market culture were a bit more popular where I live, it's nothing compared to the wonderful markets you have in Italy for example. But it's good enough for your daily needs. Other stuff, like washing powder and hygiene articles, I buy in bulk at the mall, so I don't have to go there much often.
