The rise, fall, and reinvention of the American mall

Malls started out as a sort of town center 2.0, eventually becoming staples of suburban life. But with the rise of online shopping, what does the future hold for these icons of American consumerism. In this Backstory piece, Larry potash looks at the rise, fall, and reinvention of the American mall.

[bomorris]

Goods at malls are EXTREMELY overpriced. I don't need to go spend $60 on something I can buy online for $30.

[SanFelipeCreek]

The new emotional journey for consumers is a stroll through Costco .
I miss the Mall as a teenager
In this area there are still two good Malls to go to
And they have plenty of foot traffic in both
I'm glad

[harrygoldun]

If the developers adopted the Australian model of a mall, I am sure they would be thriving. My local mall has a virtually full car park on a Monday. Many malls are still being constructed in new suburban areas. Think it also has a lot to do with socialising, people meet, shop and eat. It's what society does in Australia. America seems to live life from the couch, fact! Oh and Aussie malls feature everything, supermarkets, butchers, barbers, banks, travel agents, top end stores, major chains, key cutters, shoe repairs and everything else.

[Thisdudehere-en]

Take me back 🥺 Malls were the best hangout spots on the weekends. Friday- Sunday especially the ones that had movie theater’s

[lewis]

Downtown San Diego mall is now a business/ education center. Yes, it had an ok parking garage.

[lewis]

1950's/60's Hyannis Cape Cod Massachusetts had an enclosed mall which was really great in the cold region. At first, prices were reasonable.

[drstevej]

Low end malls are in trouble but no one is buying a $4000 bag online or ordering a $5000 suit online. High end malls are thriving.

[thesink]

Newer customers don't have that emotion from the 70's-90's We were called "dead heads", but we walked into that aura of emotion and experience.

[JohnWilson-wggk]

0:38 Galaga. The aliens attack in formation...

[bobkay]

Go to most malls today and you'll see sparse groups of people, huge empty spaces and boarded up stores. In the mall's heyday, the 1970s and 80s, things were jumping. Even at non-peak hours malls were packed, with people shopping and teens hanging out. People who say otherwise are probably too young to remember how it was in its heyday, and consider today's view the norm. The concept of "the Mall" is something, mainly, whose time has come, evolving into a retail dinosaur. And partially, online shopping, big box, societal changes and the pandemic contributed. Except for anchor stores like JC Penney, and Macy's, the smaller interior stores are outdated, overpriced and boring. Multi-use, as mentioned here, has been tried and failed. The only option today is to eliminate the interior part of the mall, and have all anchor stores with only outdoor access. It seems to be working here with the Rhode Island Mall, a long-time, once traditional mall that reached the end of its run. It now hosts Walmart, Kohls, Home Goods, Dick's Sports, Planet Fitness, Burlington Coat Factory, and more, all sharing the same building with no interconnectivity. Because of the large footprint malls leave, it's not immediately, nor economically feasible to just close it.

[arosenweig]

The success of a mall is dependent upon its management and the clientele it caters to. The failing malls are the ones owned by management companies which have poor management such as Kohan and Namdar.

[redbluerc]

Too many thugs in our old mall in Monroe La pecanland was a happening place bk in the 80s...not so much now..just a remodeled turtle shell

[SkunkHollowRoseGardens]

Some sort of strange propaganda video to make brick and mortar appear relevant for some reason? What's next WGN a delineation for the virtues of VHS tapes?

[jryecart]

July 25, 2023
Democrats are focused on Spending. Republicans are focused on Growth.
California is on the cusp of a “borrowing bonanza, ” according to a recent article by Politico.

Gavin Newsom and Democratic lawmakers in the state are wanting to borrow billions of dollars on the backs of over-taxed Californians to fund a massive expansion of Newsom’s liberal agenda. Worst yet: legislative leaders are asking an economically anxious electorate to make this spending spree a reality.

The Details: Current proposals made by these California Democrats total well over $100 billion all to fund Green New Deal initiatives and other left-wing programs.

Just like President Biden and his allies in Congress, this is yet another classic example of the never-ending cycle of Democrats overspending by asking taxpayers to shoulder their debt.

While Democrats focus nationwide on reckless spending, Republican governors and state legislatures are laser focused on economic growth. New data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) shows that the Republican approach is paying off.

According to BEA, earnings for workers and businesses in red states this year have increased significantly more than in blue states.

Exhibit A: Workers’ Paychecks in High-Tax Blue States are Lagging Behind the Nationwide Average

Per BEA, earnings in blue states are lagging the nationwide average of 5.4% in the first quarter of 2022 and 2023, including in places like New York (2.6%), California (2.9%), Connecticut (3.4%), Rhode Island (3.6%), Maryland (4%), New Jersey (4.3%), Oregon (4.5%), and Illinois (4.6%).
These blue states “boast high taxes and a high cost of living, which along with Covid-19 related lockdowns spurred increased out-migration during the pandemic, ” according to the Wall Street Journal.

Exhibit B: Red States are Seeing Faster Wage Growth and More Job Creation

On the other hand, earnings have surged faster than the national average in red states throughout this same period, including in places like North Dakota (9.7%), Nebraska (8.6%), South Carolina (8%), Alaska (7.9%), and Texas (7.7%).
GOP-led states creating more jobs and attracting higher paying industries such as technology or finance, along with faster growing wages.
SOURCE, HOUSE BUDGET COMMITTEE