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Part of the problem is that every mall looks the same. They all carry the same franchised stores with little or no variety. They would do much better if they catered to more independent business'. I remember when malls used to have army/navy stores, knife shops, comic book stores, hobby shops, and several other independently owned businesses. But mall rents are high the little guys are priced out, so we're left with the same old cookie cutter malls across the country. Those kiosk people don't help the situation either, they are way too aggressive. A trip to the mall is like walking on to a used car lot, very pushy sales people and often offensive as well.
I suggest you read Big Box Swindle,regarding your comments about independent businesses.
Before developers began to force-feed us sterile mall shopping developments surrounded by miles of pre-planned housing developments, surrounded by rings of super freeways--we had actual towns. And cities. And trains and street cars. And viable neighborhoods. With actual neighbors we knew.
But that wasn't making making land developers rich. And now 60 years later, they're all going broke.
Wonder what happens now?
Go back to the days when each neighborhood had it's own little main street would be nice. And most of the stores were owned by someone that more than likely lived in that neighborhood.
^^^^ I agree. I favor life BM ("Before Malls," what did you think?).
It's interesting that the building trend now seems to be away from indoor malls, and instead building faux "Main Streets" filled with shops out in the middle of some corn field some where. This, at a time when shops on America's REAL Main Streets are closing left and right, and the streets are being abandoned and forgotten. Just doesn't make sense to me.
Pers9onally ;I tthnik many people are turned offf malls because they hafve too many teeens and really only have magnet srtores and then alot of basically giyhcost junk shops now days. The areas that have more big b9x stores ih a area are out drawing them hands down. Plus their are the outlet malls that are most shopping centers really.Better prices and better selection is what peole are looking for more and more without the hassles of the mall.
^^^^ I agree. I favor life BM ("Before Malls," what did you think?).
It's interesting that the building trend now seems to be away from indoor malls, and instead building faux "Main Streets" filled with shops out in the middle of some corn field some where. This, at a time when shops on America's REAL Main Streets are closing left and right, and the streets are being abandoned and forgotten. Just doesn't make sense to me.
I agree with you that it seems nonsensical, but the one near where we live is doing really well. Maybe because it's Florida? (But it's north Florida, it does get cold/blustery here.)
Maybe the main issue is the actual stores--there are many, this is a huge complex, and the stores are seemingly desirable ones, so the people do come.
My township is building a new mall, a strip mall, and one of the anchor chains has already pulled out due to bankruptcy. Another anchor store is a big box home improvement store with a competitor just over a mile down the road. One will close inside of a year, I'm sure of it. On top of that, at least 2 of the new stores going in are simply moving from nearby existing malls all within a mile, one just across the street! Is this a recipe for disaster?
Many of us had eyed this property for a new school site the township wants to build but they instead chose open farmland at the edge of the township.
I just think that in a years time all these malls will be half empty and we'll be stuck with zero tax dollars coming in from bankrupt developers.
I have avoided malls for years because the prices are so ridiculous. I was so glad when my kids were teens and preferred to go with their friends instead of me having to take them.
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