Shop names? Or classifications?

Upon my arrival in Florida, one of the first things that jumped out at me was the lack of shop name signage. It's true. When you pass a strip mall, you notice, "Barber", "Nail Salon", "Fresh Fish", maybe even "Realtor". There are no store names!! Of course, this is not the case if it is a larger store like Walgreens, the sign would not simply say pharmacy.

I guess this is the evolution of American commerce. If we don't recognize a name, we will not stop. So the shop owners think, "Well, I'll just advertise what I sell, not the name of the store."

As a Northerner, I remember every shop being branded in some way. There is no confusion. We know that a sign with a picture of a steaming slice and the name Christopher's is a pizza shop. Here, it seems people feel the need to be more glaringly obvious. In a way, it makes each shopping area seem a bit sterile, with no apparent personality. Each shop announces their wares in simple block letters undifferentiated from the next. I must admit, I miss the crude drawings of dripping ice cream cones and of mortars and pestles. I guess in time I too will grow accustomed to the classification system.