Asklemmy

I'd like to think it was a combination of all the online shopping sites for all your non-groceries that started killing them off.

Why go to a mall to buy that hat you always wanted when it's not only available online on the website of wherever you are planning to go but could be cheaper? That, or just buy it on Am*zon.

That, and I firmly believe people in various first world countries have gotten lazy enough that they'll gladly wait the however long it takes for something to arrive by mail, but spending the time to have to drive somewhere and walk from the parking lot to wherever in the mall the store they want is? Haell Nah! Combine that with inflation (meaning higher gas prices) and you have people not going to malls unless they have to.

It's why surviving US malls usually have something to keep them alive to attract people anymore, I swear. Some sort of gimmick like that one well known mall with the amusement park in it or how the mall near where I live has an aquarium in it (never been, so I don't know how effective it is at attracting people). I don't think the restaurants you'll find in malls are even enough to attract enough people keep malls afloat, either, but I could be dead wrong about that one.

City Beautiful made a video video on the subject.

https://youtu.be/mEBQPpSHQME?si=e83xmwAgiGDNL13a

I only go to the mall for Dicks sporting goods or Apple which both have their own entrances. Have not walked inside the mall or any other stores in years.

This is a fascinating question. I don't think it was just Amazon either. Although the price undercutting definitely helped.

Like many others here, I remember malls having lots of cool smaller shops with various specialties. Toys, books, electronics, games, clothes, decor, whatever. It's where you'd find more niche things.

Like if "Spencer's Gifts" wasn't 99% raunchy sex stuff now. (Although hey, there was that too.)

It was funny in the 90's watching this idea of teenage girls coming back with a multi-bag haul from a mall run. Ha! Not anymore.

Nowadays though, in my big metropolitan area malls are doing okay, but you get two classes generally:

1. Run down, sketchy malls, with stores that can't afford to decorate their storefront but they'll have weird stuff like wall-hanger katanas and other almost-weaponry alongside dragon statues and glass pipes and stuff. Stores like this are punctuated by pushy kiosks that try to sell you snake oil.

These malls are still kinda hanging on. The ones here are trying to do cool things like theaters and experiences. I think it can be a cool place for fledgling businesses to do more experimental stuff. Unfortunately, the said-sketchiness still makes them a bit unappealing to visit.

2. Bougie malls, more numerous here. Every one is a clone because it features the exact same fashion-brand super-empires. And no, your working-class butt isn't their target audience. Keep moving, because they removed the benches too. Along the way, you will still be harassed by pushy kiosks, but the snake oil is in much fancier packaging!

Each individual suite has like 15 items on display that cost more than the suited foot-aching sales person makes in 6 months before taxes.

I have no idea how these places are still running. Lol

Honestly malls are thriving where I live, and I go regularly to extremely large crowds. I know it's a trend worldwide, but if all I knew was my local city, I would have no idea.

Malls killed individual stores. They were bolstered by a heavily car-centric society.

For me personally, I’m fuckin lazy and the ability to have things delivered right to my door enables this laziness.

Amazon certainly helped.

The stagnation of several anchor stores like Sears also helped. Sears was in serious decline well before Amazon became a major player in the market.