American malls used to be the place to hang out & shop, maybe even grab a bite with friends, since they had everything from the latest fashion to movie nights. But things have changed a lot over the years—malls across the country are facing a hard time, with many struggling to keep their doors open. Here are ten ways that American malls are dying out. It’s not all doom and gloom, though, as we may still be able to bring them out of their extinction!
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Disappearance of Anchor Tenants
Major department stores like Sears and Macy’s, used to be the main draws in malls—but they’ve closed their doors & without these big-name stores, smaller shops lose the foot traffic they rely on. These anchor tenants are shutting down & creating a ripple effect that leads to more store closures. Entire sections of malls are now deserted which isn’t exactly great for attracting customers.
Decline of In-Mall Entertainment Venues
Movie theaters & arcades inside malls have also shut down because streaming services and home gaming systems give people easy entertainment at home, so fewer people are heading out for a movie or to play games. Malls need these fun spots to draw crowds and without them, they lose one of the key attractions that used to keep visitors coming back. People don’t see the malls as places to hang out anymore—just to do their shopping.
Reduction of In-Person Customer Service
Retailers have cut back on in-person staff to save money and have instead put money into automated checkouts & fewer sales associates, which means that shoppers get less personal attention. Such a lack of human interaction makes the shopping experience less enjoyable and gives people yet another reason to shop online. There’s no point in visiting the mall when you’ll get the same experience from being at home on your computer!
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Loss of Specialty Stores
Unique boutiques & specialty shops are also disappearing from malls and these stores gave people niche products that they couldn’t get elsewhere, which made malls exciting places to explore. But they’ve now closed down and made malls far less diverse & less appealing to shoppers. When they want something different, they’ll simply go online and find a niche digital store instead.
Closure of Food Courts
Food courts were once the social center of malls yet these have also closed down due to health concerns & competition from standalone restaurants, which have made fewer diners choose mall food options. There’s no longer a buzz of people grabbing meals & socializing so the malls have lost an important part of their atmosphere. As such, they’re no longer able to keep visitors around longer as soon as they’ve finished their shopping.
Decreased Mall Events and Promotions
Seasonal events, fashion shows & holiday promotions that used to draw crowds are being canceled because mall companies don’t have the money to put into them anymore. As a result, there are no special occasions to attract visitors so there’s less excitement & fewer reasons for people to visit the mall. It’s directly contributing to the declining foot traffic and overall atmosphere of the mall disappearing.
Decline in Mall Maintenance and Upkeep
Less money is coming in so lots of malls are unable to keep up with regular maintenance—so shoppers notice things like broken escalators & dim lighting. Even peeling paint is enough to make a mall seem outdated or unclean and this makes the place less appealing or even unsafe. People are less likely to visit a place that looks neglected & that only adds to the mall’s troubles.
Shift in Consumer Spending Habits
Most people choose to spend their money on experiences rather than shopping and they’re prioritizing things like dining out, traveling & attending events over buying new clothes or gadgets. Malls that focus mainly on retail stores aren’t meeting this new demand and they desperately need to offer more unique experiences. Without them, they’re losing customers who are looking for a place where they’re able to do a little more than just shopping.
Conversion into Distribution Centers
Many empty mall spaces have turned into distribution centers for online retailers—those big, vacant stores are now used as warehouses where packages are sorted & shipped out. Rather than shoppers browsing shelves, workers are filling orders for online customers and it’s all because of e-commerce. It’s changing the retail landscape entirely by using former shopping centers to support online shopping demands.
Transformation into Mixed-Use Developments
Other malls are being redeveloped into mixed-use properties that include apartments & offices as well as healthcare facilities, with such changes shifting the focus from shopping to living and working spaces. Mall owners have converted malls into places where people can live & work which kinda defeats the traditional concept of the mall as a shopping destination. Now, it’s a place where you’re able to do so many things, rather than just shop.
Disclaimer: This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information.
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