What Happened to Shopping Malls?

In the 80s malls were THE hangout spot, now they're a ghost town.
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Malls just aren't what they once were. Why is it that malls are on such a decline? Why are they no longer as popular as they were in the 80s and 90s? I talk about that in this week's video essay by stemp.

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#ShoppingMalls #VideoEssay #nostalgia

[Stemp]

Hey everyone! I know this is completely different from what my channel has been but I'm trying to get some variety so I have the freedom to make videos on whatever I want rather than get stuck just making music/Radiohead content. This doesn't mean I'm done with those or the "A Tribute To" Format I want to try and get a new name for the series and rather than making one vid per track a week just make one big video every month or so with normal video essay weekly uploads! If you have any questions feel free to ask below!

[jmgates]

Nice job! "The times, they are a changing"... "Turn and face the strange"....

[ligondesenuts]

I live in the Philippines and malls here just sprung out of nowhere. We’re a tropical country so we always have very hot days. Malls are perfect places to hangout during these really humid days

[Chabascus]

It’s crazy how empty they can be. A mall near me has a good amount of stores there but if you check the parking lot or even inside it’s like it hasn’t been touched in years. Though if people do go to stores, they only go to that store, it’s kinda like the online shopping you talked about, people go to one website then they leave.

[KomikSanz]

I remember going to shopping malls as a kid, never understood the creepy man selling rides on a bungee trampoline

[cgimovieman]

Some of the reasons you mentioned for malls’ decline were a factor for sure, but you’re forgetting maybe the biggest factor; overbuilding. We built so many mall in the U.S. in such close proximity to each other in the 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s, that while it may have worked back then, as interests shifted and the economy declined, the malls basically starved each other out because they took each other’s business. There was less demand overall, and having say 7 malls in a greater metropolitan area just couldn’t work anymore like it once did. As a child of the 80’s and 90’s, I breaks my heart to see so many malls wither and die. I grew up in them, and especially growing up in a smaller area up north, especially in the winters they were my oasis. A place for me to see pop culture and the bigger world out there. I’ve had trouble adapting to seeing so many of them either disappear entirely, or change into cheap flea market versions of the palaces they used to be. But times change. I just wish really younger kids today could know the pure joy of spending a day at the mall that I had.

[maxconstar]

it's kinda like the high streets in the UK really popular but then when the internet came round people stopped going to high streets as much but I would say they're busier than malls tho

[SearsCool]

The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is "overmalled" with about 15 malls currently open in many different cities. However, there are probably 5 abandoned malls (all demolished by this point) The most popular malls usually have luxury stores like Gucci or attractions like an aquarium. They also have to be pretty big and not in a bad area. The ones that aren't doing as well will most likely continue to decline until they close and get demolished for some warehouse or business park. Some malls were even just down the road from each other and eventually the bigger mall would win and the other one would close.

[danielakatzenbecher]

I guess they found out how to disappear completely







I'm very sorry at the moment

[areamusicale]

I have the impression that people simply don't like to go out anymore. Internet convenience is just an excuse to stay indoor .... depressed.
If I have any sort of nostalgia is just going out with friends for the sake to go out. 99.9999% of the times the answer to "do you want to go [insert place here"? is always a long followed by no.

[harrygoldun]

Always look in amazement that this is actually happening in America. Polar opposites here in Australia, new suburbs spring up and the malls are an integral part of the landscape. I have 4 malls within a 10 kilometre radius to my home. All are busy, seven days a week. As soon as a lockdown is lifted, the shoppers return. But the difference here is also that our malls offer everything, from barbers to fruit and vegetables outlets, bakeries, street food style restaurants, cafe's, chemists, supermarkets, lotto outlets, newsagents and so it goes along with the normal retail tenancies.

Why those stores were not part of a US mall is beyond me. Reckon if that model was introduced, the people would come.

[EchsYT]

it makes you wonder




\
what happened to shopping malls

[kumitetoday]

Another part is retail's self-destruction. As profits became tighter, they cut the one thing that actually made them money...staff. Go into any MACYS today, and your lucky to count 5 employees on the floor. It's primarily self-service now. So if I can't get someone to help find my item or size, why drive to the mall when MACYs cuts its other foot off and offers free shipping?

[francesvandeburgt]

Retail isn't what it used to be every thing is online and that has been going on for a number of years. Jobs aren't what they used to be either