Most people don't bother to get "dressed" anymore, resorting to exercise clothes or jeans and t-shirts for any occasion. Most offices accept casual Friday everyday. Lots of people are overweight and therefore tailored clothes are ill-fitting. Restaurants will gladly seat you in an undershirt and shorts. Most Americans don't care about how they look, can't afford all the overpriced merchandise and already have more clothes than they ever need. Turn these malls into conditioned storage. There is not much difference between Macy's and Goodwill anymore.
6
Agree with the last two paragraphs, one rather sterile and careless in that the market needs to go through the pain for a new level of wealth creation, like manufacturing over the horse/buggy phase, to the last economist FACT...that yes, the market is going through another level of rationalization, this time retail which in aggregate is likely lower avg. paid and skilled then the loss of manuf. jobs...WHERE will they go with the 80K jobs lost since October...that's the pain...and WHO will solve....the green collar economy could provide a hybrid fit of tech with installing more new windows, customer service phone oper., etc....this seismic shift in closing retail stores/terminating these low skilled jobs to date, is unprecedented with no text book to figure out...except the green collar sector of new job training, etc....
2
I have never enjoyed malls. Now that I'm older, I enjoy them even less. I much prefer shopping online. It's easier, quicker, there are so many more choices, and I save driving time, money for gas, parking headaches and avoid the smell of the food court. I even buy my clothes on line from a handful of sites where I know I can trust the sizes. The only shopping experiences I enjoy in person are food shopping and going to the Apple Store, where the customer service is terrific and I can upgrade my devices so I can continue to shop on line!
5
Highest and best use:
Just use Trumpian logic and everything will be fantastic, huuuge, amazing....
1. turn all of these zombie malls into new factories that are rushing back to the USA to make America great again
2. then Americans will have tons of cash to purchase unnecessary "stuff" so the factories can be re-converted to malls again
Just use Trumpian logic and everything will be fantastic, huuuge, amazing....
1. turn all of these zombie malls into new factories that are rushing back to the USA to make America great again
2. then Americans will have tons of cash to purchase unnecessary "stuff" so the factories can be re-converted to malls again
4
There are still a couple of bright spots in the bricks-and-mortar world: Businessman and developer Rick J. Caruso has hit on a winning formula with two wildly successful outdoor malls in the L.A. area: The Grove, and The Americana at Brand- a large shopping, dining, entertainment and residential complex in Glendale, California, whose layout reminds me of Place des Vosges in the Marais District of Paris. Another outdoor mall in nearby Century City, owned by Westfield Corporation, is undergoing a $955 million remodel.
As for indoor malls, we were struck on a recent visit to Australia by The Queen Victoria Building (or QVB) located smack-dab in Sydney's business district. Built in the 1890s as a Municipal Market on the scale of a Cathedral, it was beautifully restored and re-opened in 1986, and quickly became Sydney's most popular and prestigious shopping center.
As for indoor malls, we were struck on a recent visit to Australia by The Queen Victoria Building (or QVB) located smack-dab in Sydney's business district. Built in the 1890s as a Municipal Market on the scale of a Cathedral, it was beautifully restored and re-opened in 1986, and quickly became Sydney's most popular and prestigious shopping center.
5
I feel like I grew up in North Jersey malls and department stores. As a child I got a pixie hair cut at one of the Short Hills department stores, possibly Bonwit Teller, and I tagged along as my big sister shopped for prom dresses at Paramus Mall. As a teen I developed my fashion sense walking through Willowbrook Mall and Livingston Mall. During free "mods" in high school I took advantage of our open campus and scouted out new styles at Bambergers and Epstein's. When I started my career, I snagged bargains in "bridge line" departments of upscale stores.
Today malls and department stores have nothing to entice me. How did this happen? Did I tire of a life-long "hobby"? Is there literally nothing new under the sun? I think retailers are more interested in quantity than quality, which is short-sighted even if consumers have less disposable cash nowadays. Those throwaway fashions lead to lower profit margins and turn off those of us willing to pay more for a jacket that can be worn for 5 or 10 years and still be stylish if not trendy.
I wish I could find something in the malls and department stores to excite me. eBay is my source now for the designers I wish I could still find in stores. Sometimes I feel like the Charleton Heston character at the end of the first Planet of the Apes movie when he realizes his world tore itself apart. I drive past a closed down department store where I once bought a red coat I loved wearing and just shake my head.
Today malls and department stores have nothing to entice me. How did this happen? Did I tire of a life-long "hobby"? Is there literally nothing new under the sun? I think retailers are more interested in quantity than quality, which is short-sighted even if consumers have less disposable cash nowadays. Those throwaway fashions lead to lower profit margins and turn off those of us willing to pay more for a jacket that can be worn for 5 or 10 years and still be stylish if not trendy.
I wish I could find something in the malls and department stores to excite me. eBay is my source now for the designers I wish I could still find in stores. Sometimes I feel like the Charleton Heston character at the end of the first Planet of the Apes movie when he realizes his world tore itself apart. I drive past a closed down department store where I once bought a red coat I loved wearing and just shake my head.
10
I hate buying clothes online. Women's clothing is not "size-standardized" like men's. We have to try things on before we know they are worth keeping. We can thank Bloomingdale's for announcing 10 years ago that they would no longer stock women's petite sizes. Most retailers followed suit. Now I am forced to buy online and usually end up returning 80% of what I order. Online purchase isn't the solution for many consumer goods.
7
Despite a long career in ecommerce, I've always preferred to shop in-store for the experience and tactile nature. Now I walk the streets of Manhattan and see so many storefronts empty (Gracious Home!) that it's clear the problem is not limited to the Malls. Excess stores and strong competition is not a recipe for survival.
Now I find it easier to shop online, with customer reviews taking the place of the tactile, and speed of delivery supplanting experience. Store visits are rare, often to kill time between activities. Online has impacted my food shopping as well: the Cook-at-home food packages cover 3 meals but reduce my grocery shopping by at least 50%. My visits to restaurants are down as well.
I never imagined that our little ecommerce industry would one day "take over the world", or decimate retail as it has. Only one of many threats to retail, many self inflicted, but I'll miss the old shopping experience nonetheless.
Now I find it easier to shop online, with customer reviews taking the place of the tactile, and speed of delivery supplanting experience. Store visits are rare, often to kill time between activities. Online has impacted my food shopping as well: the Cook-at-home food packages cover 3 meals but reduce my grocery shopping by at least 50%. My visits to restaurants are down as well.
I never imagined that our little ecommerce industry would one day "take over the world", or decimate retail as it has. Only one of many threats to retail, many self inflicted, but I'll miss the old shopping experience nonetheless.
5
Malls offered a special kind of job. Although relatively low paid, the jobs were relatively easy to obtain, especially toward the holidays. No need to have a fancy resume or to have internships, just show up and be presentable. And the jobs often started at 10 am, allowing young workers to party late before coming to work. And malls were fun and a place to see and be seen. You could often pick at a store to work that sold the merchandise you liked and attracted customers like you. The money was small, but some people hung in and climbed the corporate ranks and had a lucrative career.
Working in a warehouse that operates in shifts 24 hours a day seems to drain all the fun out of working retail.
Working in a warehouse that operates in shifts 24 hours a day seems to drain all the fun out of working retail.
15
I will never forget walking on Church Street in downtown Burlington, that 5-block pedestrian mall spearheaded by Bernie Sanders when he was mayor of the Queen City. It is filled with stores, galleries and restaurants selling Vermont-made stuff, VT-made art and preparing and serving locally-grown food. There is a large and ugly building, very out-of-scale running perpendicular to Church Street, interfering with everything, particularly pedestrian and vehicular flow called the Burlington Town Center. I had been to town to pick-up rented stringed instruments that we use at our summer camp and was lucky to park at the intersection of Pearl and Church less than a block from the Burlington Violin Shop. I had to make several trips to pick the five instruments up and load them. Each time I headed back to the car to deposit something there were people standing on the street holding Macy bags asking for directions. Granted they could have been VTers from Brattleboro, but it was summer so I doubt that. I just laughed. You drive all the way to Burlington and shop at Macy's in the Burlington Town Center. Get a life.
2
Burlington Town Center is going to be redeveloped and reconfigured back into the traditional street grid.
2
Missing from this article is the emergence of the "omnichannel" experience, which, in the same way Amazon and Bonobos are extending their experience from purely online to brick and mortar, so too traditional stores are looking for how the online experience augments the in-store shopping. More and more, online research and email promotions will be a part of the shopping experience (whether the purchase is online or in-store).
2
If you order online in my neighborhood, you had better be there when the Fedex or the UPS truck arrives. If you're not, your package does a disappearing act. And it's not just our neighborhood; there's a VERY high-rent district just 15 minutes away from where I'm writing this, where the thieves sometimes follow the UPS trucks down the street, stealing the packages as fast as the delivery guys can put them on people's doorsteps.
So I hope bricks-and-mortar retail doesn't go away completely; because for a lot of us, shopping online just isn't an option.
So I hope bricks-and-mortar retail doesn't go away completely; because for a lot of us, shopping online just isn't an option.
8
Shopping online is an option if you arrange with the merchant to require signature upon delivery.
3
Amazon has coded lock boxes at many area 7-Elevens that you can select as you're checking out.
3
Retail stores are good for one thing: You can find what you want, try it on, look at it. Then you can go home and find it online at a reduced price without taxes and get it shipped to you in a couple days.
3
I used to LOVE mall shopping, but the last few times I went to our local mall, I thought, "No one here wants my money." The stores in their merchandise, decor, and service, were catering to teenagers. There was little of quality there. You'd be hard-pressed to find clothing with sleeves, even in mid-winter. Skirts hang mid-thigh and the sizes offered were 0-8, not even 10. (Have you SEEN America lately? Not many sizes 0-8 where I live). Yet designers don't want to design for flattering size 10 and above. There were no spots to sit and relax and chat with a friend. No Waldenbooks or Borders anymore for book-browsing. And I always over-spend at bookstores. No stores for furnishings, which I'm always on the lookout for. No toy stores anymore to let my child enjoy going to the mall too. Even Victoria's Secret was decked out in silly pink polka dots like it was catering to pre-teens. And I'm sorry but I think "food court" is the worst idea ever. So noisy and over-stimulating. I now shop at a local strip mall that has what I'm looking for. Sorry for sounding like a total grump. I'm sure I'm an oddball with old-fashioned tastes, but....people in my age group have more disposable income than ever right now and I can't help but think these companies have themselves to blame.
25
I don't mind buying all my clothes online, though I am getting pretty tired of wearing easy-to-fit-into boxy tops, stretchy pants, and one of three brands of shoes. But buying furniture online...crazy. Gotta put everything together yourself (or go online to find a human connector), and once that's done, you're stuck. Unless you can dismantle the whole mess, shove it back into its boxes, etc. Trouble is, even furniture stores now are turning into mere showcases: There's one example of a sofa they "carry" (if you buy it, they'll ship you one in a box). Often, with office chairs, for instance, there's not even a sample in the store to try out. Great ergonomics. With this lack of basic service--not nicety, now--I reluctantly buy online and take what I can get. Yes, I miss real stores!
7
The amount of time you spend waiting for the item to arrive and then returning it when it doesn't fit or when you realize the fabric is much cheaper looking than it looked online is such a waste. I prefer to go to a few shops and try and buy and never deal with mail order returns.
13
It would be good to see malls filled with local non-profit groups which may have difficulty finding locations for their specific needs. Often these malls were built with tax credits paid for by the citizens. Here in the southeast there are numerous dog training clubs which would love to have air-conditioned indoor facilities with plenty of parking where they could hold training classes & competitive events.
7
"Now, some of these web retailers are beginning to cross back into the brick-and-mortar world."
warehouses and shipping centers can also be made of bricks and mortar. but they will unlikely have cash registers, window displays and sophisticated architectural design.
and no discussion of online retailing is complete without considering USPS, UPS, FedEx and other shippers.
we should also consider the development of webpages (ex., writing in web languages, writing in english or another traditional language, and creating graphics) and electronic commerce/payment. personal computers are our new economic windows to the world.
you could complain about these developments, but nearly everyone will ignore you. we are too busy looking at and writing on our computers or other electronic devices.
warehouses and shipping centers can also be made of bricks and mortar. but they will unlikely have cash registers, window displays and sophisticated architectural design.
and no discussion of online retailing is complete without considering USPS, UPS, FedEx and other shippers.
we should also consider the development of webpages (ex., writing in web languages, writing in english or another traditional language, and creating graphics) and electronic commerce/payment. personal computers are our new economic windows to the world.
you could complain about these developments, but nearly everyone will ignore you. we are too busy looking at and writing on our computers or other electronic devices.
1
My broker told me years ago before he retired that he watched national birth rates as an indicator of future growth. My only thought is that's not sustainable. Any broker will advise "trees don't grow to the sky" and past is no prediction of future. In some places the exurb real estate was the cheapest part of this equation. Its not as though stucco boxes on a slab are inherently pricey. Throw in "white flight" or some other issue and developers are all too happy to sell suburbia to suburbans all over again.
It was software that drove the Big Box phase of retail: inventory systems, point of sale systems, shipping and handling systems. Big Boxes of the 1980s destroyed Hometown, Smalltown, Downtown America. Articles like this used to complain about what Malls are doing to Downtown. The internet simply extended that the last half mile to your home.
One in ten Americans are employed in point of sale retail. Millions of American men make their living simply driving vehicles, millions more wait on tables, prepare food, mow lawns, etc.
When bank tellers were replaced by ATMS, I didn't say anything because I wasn't a bank teller. When the taxi drivers went away, I didn't say anything because I wasn't a taxi driver.
Its coming for you.
It was software that drove the Big Box phase of retail: inventory systems, point of sale systems, shipping and handling systems. Big Boxes of the 1980s destroyed Hometown, Smalltown, Downtown America. Articles like this used to complain about what Malls are doing to Downtown. The internet simply extended that the last half mile to your home.
One in ten Americans are employed in point of sale retail. Millions of American men make their living simply driving vehicles, millions more wait on tables, prepare food, mow lawns, etc.
When bank tellers were replaced by ATMS, I didn't say anything because I wasn't a bank teller. When the taxi drivers went away, I didn't say anything because I wasn't a taxi driver.
Its coming for you.
5
There is simply no way to stop the growth of online shopping, with the exception of perishable food items. Prices are less expensive, the selection is much better and it is simply much more convenient for most of us.
So what can traditional brick and mortar retailers do, especially those in the malls? Make the experience about everything else but shopping. Restaurants are key; entertainment is key; movie theaters are key. Do what you have to do to get the shopper to want to visit the mall. And, for God's sake, spend the money for the right amount of security and service in the stores.
So what can traditional brick and mortar retailers do, especially those in the malls? Make the experience about everything else but shopping. Restaurants are key; entertainment is key; movie theaters are key. Do what you have to do to get the shopper to want to visit the mall. And, for God's sake, spend the money for the right amount of security and service in the stores.
2
The malls killed off the small towns, but at least the small towns had charm and a sense of place. If most of the buildings survived, they could wait to be repurposed into condos, restaurants, gift shops..
However the malls were charmless, and now are suffering their justified demise. In the future they will be seen as just a brief blight on the landscape - and forgotten.
However the malls were charmless, and now are suffering their justified demise. In the future they will be seen as just a brief blight on the landscape - and forgotten.
3
I'm trying to understand exactly who would want to live in a remodeled or repurposed shopping mall. Malls are by design anti-urban and artificial. The only proper reuse is to demolish these abominations and redevelopment them into new communities using sustainable design principles. Not only will this benefit the community, but it makes good fiscal sense.
3
You didn't mention " Lifestyle Centers ". Retail centers that mix entertainment and shopping and are successful. Such as The Grove in LA. It has more visitors than Disneyland.
4
Technology seems so cool but no one thinks about the consequences. Massive job losses. It's the big disconnect! Everywhere I go people are staring downward at their little screens. No one is talking to anyone. As for business, the federal government is allowing monopolies to form everywhere you look. Google, Amazon etc. Not good. There will start to be a pushback. The next battle will not be left vs right. It will be pro-technology people vs anti-technology people. I'm leaning towards the anti-technology group. This world is just getting too strange!
7
Customers prefer shopping online? Not true. This is a myth retailers want to spread to avoid spending on physical facilities and hiring employees. I want to be able to see the quality of the merchandise I'm buying. I want to try it on. I want to look at the inside of a book before I buy it. I want to select the fruits and vegetables I want to eat. I only buy online when I can't find the product locally. But I already know what I'm getting. I don't want to spend money returning items that do not meet my standards. The same is happening in universities. Administrators want to save money and force students to take courses online even though students do not want them. Administrators force students to take courses online by limiting the available classes offered on campus. And tech companies spread the myth that students cannot learn without technology as a means by which to sell their products. Interacting personally with others in a classroom is the same as discovering and exploring products we did not expect to find in a store is a priceless experience.
9
Unable to provide superior experiences, costs, or convenience, traditional retail's decline and continued "cost rationalization" won't improve experiences or convenience. Online, Amazon's infrastructure, applications, and algorithms know so much about me, and treat me very well. I can make better decisions, easier. I can expect to receive what I want, when I want it. The pace of innovation online is only accelerating.
Compare that to the traditional retail world, where very few of the above statements are true. They treat everyone ignorantly and for the most part, poorly.
The retail business model as we've known it is doomed.
Compare that to the traditional retail world, where very few of the above statements are true. They treat everyone ignorantly and for the most part, poorly.
The retail business model as we've known it is doomed.
2
Everything the movie Soylent Green seems to be coming to pass (climate change, overpopulation, death of the seas), so why not re-purpose these empty malls into the kind of "Home" center Edward G Robinson visits.
1
What malls have been trying to do for decades now is replace a sense of community. It has never worked and never will. Sadly, the thing that malls rely upon is exactly the opposite: Shoppers float about malls like untethered atoms trying to appease an "empty feeling" with purchases.
8
Face it - America is over retailed. Far more than any other country in fact. If 30% of its malls were turned back into woodlands and corn fields the world would be a better place.
20
Americans consume too much. They do not need any more "stuff" so online is a good thing; less temptation to consume.
7
It's even easier to over buy online and don't get me started on Amazon Dash.
4
If you visit an El Corte Inglis in Spain of Portugal, you can find almost anything you need, from a pair of sandals, to a E2000 bottle of wine.
I for one don't regret the death of malls - sterile commercial bubbles isolated from street life (which in turn became barren). Esp when they tended to have the same chain of stores everywhere - no mom and pop stores here.
I do regret, on the other hand, the end of brick and mortar chains - particularly those we grew up with, be it Woolworth's, Radio Shack , and now possibly Sears. Department store are in trouble, and I concur with another commenter about the frequent poor service.
It is not online competition alone which led to their downfall - although it is certain that the high costs of rents, not to mention employee salaries, could not pay for stores such as Radio Shack where you saw only so much foot traffic for some items costing barely a few dollars. Many over-expanded. In the apparel business, Macy's has been selling the same uninspiring clothing at high prices, whereas Zara's small shops are jam-packed with young people looking for both style and affordability.
If stores were to disappear altogether, where would we go the next time we need a small item, and we're not quite sure what to get ? or don't know how those clothes would look and whether it is quality fabric and make? or if your elderly parents are just not tech savvy? This is already a problem.
Most of all, what of the social impact ? If a mall was already less of a community than a downtown main street, what of a world limited to online presence?
I do regret, on the other hand, the end of brick and mortar chains - particularly those we grew up with, be it Woolworth's, Radio Shack , and now possibly Sears. Department store are in trouble, and I concur with another commenter about the frequent poor service.
It is not online competition alone which led to their downfall - although it is certain that the high costs of rents, not to mention employee salaries, could not pay for stores such as Radio Shack where you saw only so much foot traffic for some items costing barely a few dollars. Many over-expanded. In the apparel business, Macy's has been selling the same uninspiring clothing at high prices, whereas Zara's small shops are jam-packed with young people looking for both style and affordability.
If stores were to disappear altogether, where would we go the next time we need a small item, and we're not quite sure what to get ? or don't know how those clothes would look and whether it is quality fabric and make? or if your elderly parents are just not tech savvy? This is already a problem.
Most of all, what of the social impact ? If a mall was already less of a community than a downtown main street, what of a world limited to online presence?
8
Is there a revolution in apparel? Spandex makes fit less important. Trying on jeans is less necessary.
Women's clothes have been simplified with acceptance of the very practical tunic and leggings look. There is less need for accessories.
Is spandex for women like the drip dry shirt was for men? It means a lot less space is needed for women's clothing in stores.
Women's clothes have been simplified with acceptance of the very practical tunic and leggings look. There is less need for accessories.
Is spandex for women like the drip dry shirt was for men? It means a lot less space is needed for women's clothing in stores.
3
I can't understand why more people don't shop with all their senses, as I do! It is not enough for me to buy a chair that I cannot sit on first, no matter how it looks online! I'll never buy perfume that I can't smell on myself first! Honestly this online purchasing just feels like modern-day catalog shopping and it ain't working for me!
12
As a kid I hunted and chased rabbits and pheasants where malls now stand. Tear them all down. Pave paradise indeed.
24
Malls became redundant when the everyday stores left. In the 1970s there were five-and-dime stores with lunch counters, banks, greeting card shops, supermarkets and drug stores, ice cream parlors, bookstores, pet stores, Hair salons, Cafeterias, and cinemas in addition to the clothing stores. At some point every mall store turned into places that didn't have anything you really needed. Once the ability to combine several errands into one mall visit disappeared people realized it was too much trouble to visit a mall to visit just one store.
11
Exactly. One stop shopping is the point.
Walmart has figured that out by adding groceries.
Walmart has figured that out by adding groceries.
Funny. We go past The Mall at Short Hills all the time. It's 15 minutes away, at most. And I don't think we've been in there in between 2 and 5 years!
7
Even in my upscale neighborhood in San Francisco (is there any other kind now?) has a growing number of empty storefronts. I was wondering why, but it's obvious: everyone stays home and shops on Amazon. The result is a hollowed-out shopping street filled with restaurants, bars and little knick-knack shops for the tourists and nothing for residents.
Unless you count the homeless, sleeping in the doorways of shuttered stores where nobody will roust them in the morning. Their numbers seem to be growing too. I wonder if one thing is connected to another.
Unless you count the homeless, sleeping in the doorways of shuttered stores where nobody will roust them in the morning. Their numbers seem to be growing too. I wonder if one thing is connected to another.
8
If everyone stays home and shops on Amazon, why are online purchases barely nine percent of total consumption?
5
I like malls... and I don't care for internet shopping .... BUT, after saying that, I do most of my shopping on the internet... mall stores usually have one employee, and he (she) is so busy restocking, cashing out and doing the myiad of tasks necessary, they have no time to help customers ... so at least internet shopping, becomes more relaxed..... What does surprise me, is Sears, the original catalog store, has almost completely disappeared ....
6
It was not that long ago that the articles about 'internet retail sales tax' had many nytimes commenters saying they loved going to stores and trying on clothes. etc. Apparently they have changed their minds about that.
My sense is that younger USA generations still like "stuff" but generally they buy a lot less of it than we did in the 1970s and 80s (the heights of mall-mania). That same younger generation is renting rather than buying, and not interested in cars unless they really truly need one. The death of physical retail is not solely caused by internet retail. There is a younger generation that just does not want stuff and they think about money quite differently (and they also have less of it).
My sense is that younger USA generations still like "stuff" but generally they buy a lot less of it than we did in the 1970s and 80s (the heights of mall-mania). That same younger generation is renting rather than buying, and not interested in cars unless they really truly need one. The death of physical retail is not solely caused by internet retail. There is a younger generation that just does not want stuff and they think about money quite differently (and they also have less of it).
21
They spend money on digital stuff.
6
My children see value in "reuse, repurpose, recycle" and go to thrift stores as well as shop online.
American retailers have not captured younger people. Malls were a new thing when Boomers were becoming adults. We remember them in their heyday. They aren't new anymore and need to be recycled to other uses.
Kids see that "stuff" is part of the problem, not the solution.
American retailers have not captured younger people. Malls were a new thing when Boomers were becoming adults. We remember them in their heyday. They aren't new anymore and need to be recycled to other uses.
Kids see that "stuff" is part of the problem, not the solution.
2
totally agree Annette
Maybe I'm strange, but I prefer shopping in stores to online shopping. I like to see and hold the item I'm about to purchase... to really consider how it's going to fit into my life. It's a form of mindful consumption that's difficult to replicate online. Sure, for something like dish soap and toothpaste a few clicks online is a life saver, but for something like a new pair of shoes or a lamp I savor the experience of shopping in a real, live store.
43
Agreed, Kat! Especially for shoes!!
Although, living quite near one of the largest malls in the country, shopping there is very overwhelming when you're searching for something specific. I'd love to have places like Wanamaker's back.
Although, living quite near one of the largest malls in the country, shopping there is very overwhelming when you're searching for something specific. I'd love to have places like Wanamaker's back.
You must be a senior citizen.
2
Same here. Online is conveniently but its hit or miss with regards to quality and you've got to be REALLY careful about returns policy, etc.
2
Isn't Manhattan just a big mall?
15
With the exception of perishable food, I buy everything online. Appliances, clothes, books, electronics and everything else. I haven't set foot in a mall in about 15 or 18 years. I don't miss any of the traditional shopping experience. Scrambling around for a parking space, the crowds, the lack of help in the stores, the limited selection - I don't miss any of it. Period.
16
Me either.
Nothing worse than driving to the store to find they don't have what you want.
Nothing worse than driving to the store to find they don't have what you want.
1
Maybe people are finally tired of getting exactly what they pay for. Fast fashion is cheap, it's poorly made and it's generally unwearable within a few months either from falling apart or being out of season or style. Retailers made a mistake in chasing the discount shopper to the bottom of the Made in China barrel.
If you want something of better quality you have to go online to find it.
If you want something of better quality you have to go online to find it.
13
Isn't most of the online merchandise also made in China, or nearby? I find the same poor textile quality online as in stores.
3
Romaro's epic Dawn of the Dead comes to mind.
3
@Paul, Monroeville Mall in PA. =-)
Perhaps the zombie malls should hire some real zombies to bring life (and customers) back to the malls...
Perhaps the zombie malls should hire some real zombies to bring life (and customers) back to the malls...
6
Even the mall used in Dawn of the Dead is dead. I stopped by the Monroeville Mall while in Pittsburgh last summer. Lots of vacant storefronts and mom and pop stores selling junk...and no customers.
8% of retail sales of $1T+??
You are counting food, aren't you? Food delivery will never be as penetrated as books and clothes have become, so the ceiling is MUCH lower than you imply.
You are counting food, aren't you? Food delivery will never be as penetrated as books and clothes have become, so the ceiling is MUCH lower than you imply.
2
I use Prime Pantry for many non-perishables, including detergent, TP, other paper goods and anything canned or boxed. Good prices too.
We still have some very successful malls. They are busy every day of the year. But the malls that are not in a prime location are becoming something different. I have had the thought that we have enough strip malls in non-prime locations that no more will need to be built in my lifetime. Prime commercial real estate will always be in demand (location, location, location...)
6
Big business must fail, or else we soon all work for them at minimum wage, or have no job at all. Wake up people!
6
Once, a long time ago you could walk into a department store in a mall and it was a wonderland of new and exciting merchandise. You saw things you had never seen before, you were waited on by knowing salespeople and it was a wonderful experience.
Walk into any Macy's in this country and you see the same old tired merchandise you see everywhere else. No thought goes into the buying, and no training is wasted on the salespeople. It is a horrible experience, the last time I went to a department store at a mall, I stood in an empty department shouting to see if I coud attract any one working there. It did not happen.
Large retail businesses have killed themselves, the actual store and selling are only a small part of the corporation. They have forgotten that they are there to serve the public, and until they remember that they are doomed to fail and fail again.
Walk into any Macy's in this country and you see the same old tired merchandise you see everywhere else. No thought goes into the buying, and no training is wasted on the salespeople. It is a horrible experience, the last time I went to a department store at a mall, I stood in an empty department shouting to see if I coud attract any one working there. It did not happen.
Large retail businesses have killed themselves, the actual store and selling are only a small part of the corporation. They have forgotten that they are there to serve the public, and until they remember that they are doomed to fail and fail again.
79
Yes and you want it all at the lowest possible price, people cost money and you do not want to pay. Perhaps YOU are part of the problem.
Well Frank, I wold like to figure out how your concluded that I was part of the problem. I am very aware that you pay for what you get. I would rather pay more and get a better product and service than not. I own a small retail business. I am very aware of the cost of both merchandise and labor. You are right, it is much more expensive to train and pay people a decent wage. But in doing so you have a better product and a better experience. If the malls cannot figure this out, then they are going to fail. Amazon is not the cheap fest it used to be. Also, a lot of the stuff is crap that falls apart. Being in a store and touching the merchandise and seeing it's quality cannot be replaced. Perhaps you are part of a much bigger problem for jumping to such wild conclusions.
5
Not long ago, I wanted to get a new bathrobe. I went to at least five stores at a mall and found the robes they stocked were expensive, poor quality, the wrong colors or fibers. Besides that, to find anything, I had to wander all over the stores to various departments. I came home, looked online, and found all kinds of robes in every color imaginable at reasonable prices and with free shipping.
I do enjoy looking at jewelry at the mall, however.
I do enjoy looking at jewelry at the mall, however.
14
After scouring the large dept stores in the area for a men's dressing gown that wasn't all fleece or toweling, I finally found exactly what I wanted on the Nordstrom's website. They didn't have anything close to it in quality in the store. In this case the store did it to themselves!
3
I hate malls and fought online shopping for years. I find it a losing battle. I've tried to win my merit badge by shopping 'local' BUT the local merchants must realize their responsibility also. Get someone to open the doors before 11am, offer something on the racks and on the tables besides one of an item, limited sizing. We're out of stock' or we don't carry that' is a constant refrain. These family owned businesses that we're trying to nurture often give the advice that "You might be able to get that on Amazon".
19
Patton NY - The reason that there are no longer any small, privately owned retail is many fold, but there is one outstanding reason mostly unknown to the general public. Small merchants can't buy from many suppliers. Credit for small business has literally dried up. In retail, the apparel industry, there were once financial lenders called "Factors". JP Maguiire, ELESCO (the financial arm of Levi Strauss) and many others used to "buy the paper " of small manufacturers and issue credit to the manufacturers and the retail stores. Factoring is mostly gone. Without credit merchants cannot buy goods. Also, some manufacturers demanded that small retail stores buy larger quantities than they needed. In other words, "you're too small for us".
If anyone wanted to open a retail store today they would be hard pressed to find any creditors or other lenders to finance inventory. If they do the cost of money is very expensive. Money is expensive for manufacturing. Through out the 1950s, 60s and even until about the mid 1980s we could find lenders for inventory. Bank New York Mellon, Bank Boston, Chase, and even Citi Bank used to offer reasonable terms. Today I would not even ask. Neither would others.
Manufacturing and retailing has changed for many reasons. Money is still one of the main elements. Without affordable financing no small business can survive least of all be a start up. No money equals no inventory. Banking for small business is also infrastructure to be restored.
If anyone wanted to open a retail store today they would be hard pressed to find any creditors or other lenders to finance inventory. If they do the cost of money is very expensive. Money is expensive for manufacturing. Through out the 1950s, 60s and even until about the mid 1980s we could find lenders for inventory. Bank New York Mellon, Bank Boston, Chase, and even Citi Bank used to offer reasonable terms. Today I would not even ask. Neither would others.
Manufacturing and retailing has changed for many reasons. Money is still one of the main elements. Without affordable financing no small business can survive least of all be a start up. No money equals no inventory. Banking for small business is also infrastructure to be restored.
39
And isn't it interesting that back then prevailing interest rates were much higher? You'd think that with so much cheap money around, that factors would be eager to finance inventory.
I think two other things are at play as well. The rise of credit cards, in particular, "reward" cards, play havoc with small merchants as they extort an enormous percentage of the purchase.
Second, the relentless discounting of major brands means inventory depreciates much more rapidly.
Still, all things must pass and it's clear most malls are toast. Turn them into housing.
I think two other things are at play as well. The rise of credit cards, in particular, "reward" cards, play havoc with small merchants as they extort an enormous percentage of the purchase.
Second, the relentless discounting of major brands means inventory depreciates much more rapidly.
Still, all things must pass and it's clear most malls are toast. Turn them into housing.
2
And you can.
There are lots of malls in Orange County, CA. However, there are 3 that really standout as extremely successful now and likely in the future:
- South Coast Plaza - Costa Mesa, CA est. 1967 owned by the Segerstrom family
- Fashion Island - Newport Beach, CA est. 1967 &
- Irvine Spectrum - Irvine, CA est. 1995 both owned by The Irvine Company
I believe that one of the drivers of these 3 malls' success is the old real estate adage: LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION.
- There are a lot of people nearby with sufficient disposable income
- And enough of these people will go out and buy
- They're all surrounded by high rises.
However, the owners of the malls cultivated their desirability in location. They built & own some of the office buildings that surround each mall. The Irvine Company, also has an extensive portfolio of residential & high end strip malls. All 3 have been very strategic with their retail & dining options & in making each place a unique destination. The Irvine Company's malls are more community-oriented, outdoors & dog friendly with the Irvine Spectrum being a little more family focused.
I believe another driver of their success is the owners' high expectations of service and appearance. Today, many people go to a store are looking for service, not convenience. South Coast Plaza has created VIP services aimed towards the int'l tourists. They've attracted elite tenants & have overshadowed Rodeo Dr in Beverly Hills as the place take these tourists.
- South Coast Plaza - Costa Mesa, CA est. 1967 owned by the Segerstrom family
- Fashion Island - Newport Beach, CA est. 1967 &
- Irvine Spectrum - Irvine, CA est. 1995 both owned by The Irvine Company
I believe that one of the drivers of these 3 malls' success is the old real estate adage: LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION.
- There are a lot of people nearby with sufficient disposable income
- And enough of these people will go out and buy
- They're all surrounded by high rises.
However, the owners of the malls cultivated their desirability in location. They built & own some of the office buildings that surround each mall. The Irvine Company, also has an extensive portfolio of residential & high end strip malls. All 3 have been very strategic with their retail & dining options & in making each place a unique destination. The Irvine Company's malls are more community-oriented, outdoors & dog friendly with the Irvine Spectrum being a little more family focused.
I believe another driver of their success is the owners' high expectations of service and appearance. Today, many people go to a store are looking for service, not convenience. South Coast Plaza has created VIP services aimed towards the int'l tourists. They've attracted elite tenants & have overshadowed Rodeo Dr in Beverly Hills as the place take these tourists.
7
One significant point missing in this article is that the hollowing out of the middle class has made the retail environment vulnerable for mid-priced department stores like Macy's and JCPenney, both in their physical or virtual states.
Short Hills remains wildly successful since it caters to the exclusively wealthy, who has rebounded significantly since the Great Recession. Yes ecommerce luxury sites like Net a Porter can provide speedy delivery of purchases but purchasing a dress or suit can turn into an annoying ordeal when having to either return purchases due to ordering the wrong size or take them to the tailor after receiving them, making it easier for stores at Short Hills to address those inconveniences. Machine Learning technology is probably at least 5 years away from addressing those issues.
The middle class has only gotten more minuscule since then with many of its former inhabitants now living in poverty with no prospects of going back. Amazon is wildly successful because it offers both dirt-cheap and luxury goods from the convenience of home. Yes econmerce will probably keep on increasing its percentage of total retail sales in the years ahead but retail sales overall will probably remain flat or decrease in the years to come with governments and businesses unwilling to address the drivers of economic inequality.
Short Hills remains wildly successful since it caters to the exclusively wealthy, who has rebounded significantly since the Great Recession. Yes ecommerce luxury sites like Net a Porter can provide speedy delivery of purchases but purchasing a dress or suit can turn into an annoying ordeal when having to either return purchases due to ordering the wrong size or take them to the tailor after receiving them, making it easier for stores at Short Hills to address those inconveniences. Machine Learning technology is probably at least 5 years away from addressing those issues.
The middle class has only gotten more minuscule since then with many of its former inhabitants now living in poverty with no prospects of going back. Amazon is wildly successful because it offers both dirt-cheap and luxury goods from the convenience of home. Yes econmerce will probably keep on increasing its percentage of total retail sales in the years ahead but retail sales overall will probably remain flat or decrease in the years to come with governments and businesses unwilling to address the drivers of economic inequality.
23
How we shop;
My wife - go to a mall, find what she likes, comes home and searches the web for the best price.
Me - purchase on line from company website, if I do not like the item, return it at the mall or mail.
My wife - go to a mall, find what she likes, comes home and searches the web for the best price.
Me - purchase on line from company website, if I do not like the item, return it at the mall or mail.
7
". . . all stored on shelves and available for two-day free shipping." (Amazon) No, no, no, a thousand times no. It is NOT free.
15
"... a place for Zombies", "Turn them into schools, prisons, or low-income housing". Sums up many of the current social issues in the US today.
7
As one of earliest of the baby boomers, the rise of malls were viewed as the death knell of small town life and community. They were something to lament. I remember LI with potato fields, the north shore where my aunt lived with woods and long winding dirt roads leading to the bluffs and ocean. Then they "turned paradise into a parking lot". How different life was in the 1980s- now in Westchester, I went with friends-parents who brought to their children to the mall as my parents took us children to the park. Mall as playground. Shop till you drop, eat fast food, play video games. What a sterile soulless place it was. I have no lament for the demise of malls. I want the return of shops on tree lined strees in the open air under blue sky.
80
Won't happen . . .
1
The malls are being replaced by concrete boxes operated by Amazon, not by Main St.
6
I live in San Francisco next to a tree lined street filled with little stores. Well it used to be. The number of boarded up stores increases all the time. The only businesses that can make it are restuarants, bars and knick knack stores for the tourists. The residents all shop online which is a vicious cycle. Even those of us who would patronize a store are forced online when they all close.
5
As a young auditor at one of the big firms in 1995, our retail industry group said there was 10 to 15 years growth built into the then current supply of retail stores and mall space. In other words, there was over development over 20 years ago. It comes as no surprise that behemoth malls are failing.
Outdoor shopping centers such as Market Street in Lynnfield, ma where you can drive up to the store where you want to shop without being swallowed into a mall and leave. The experience of plowing through an indoor mall is dead. Shoppers still like the hunt and the tactile experience but don't have time to take on an entire battery of stores.
Outdoor shopping centers such as Market Street in Lynnfield, ma where you can drive up to the store where you want to shop without being swallowed into a mall and leave. The experience of plowing through an indoor mall is dead. Shoppers still like the hunt and the tactile experience but don't have time to take on an entire battery of stores.
5
I hate when the retail death-spiral begins: sales are off so to save money a store starts cutting down on merchandise and staff - selection, variety, service. The customers that do come to the store begin having a less and less satisfying experience so business drops even further. Which, in turn, sparks greater cuts. I've seen it happen so many times. To the point where I just stop bothering to visit the store. Cutting service and selection seem like exactly the wrong move to make for brick and mortar. The human connection is still the most essential.
12
For the most part, American brick-and-mortar retail has been a race to the bottom for the past 40 years. Customer service has become a thing of the past. Stores are messy and disorganized, and I often feel like the staff feels like it's doing us a favor by showing up. At least with online shopping, you're not dealing with the attitude.
16
My two college age daighters with generous spending allowances and similarly situated friends almost never go to the mall. They certainly don't go for the reasons I did to hang out with friends. Their Clothing purchases are almost exclusively online : Tobi, Lulus, Revolve. Shoes from Zappos or Nordstrom online. They DO go to the grocery and to Target. Oh and to Michaels craft stores. But that's the extent of their brick and mortar shopping. That's how I knew malls were in big trouble
7
Some towns are successfully going back to a thriving downtown where people walk, run into neighbors and know the shopkeepers. Places in New Jersey with prospering downtowns include Princeton, Metuchen, Highland Park among many others. North Brunswick is trying to build a community from scratch that mimics these.
28
I lived in the Princeton area. Shopping in Princeton is a mess. Traffic on Rt. 27 - buses, 18 wheelers. Parking? HA! Most of the parking spaces on Rt 27 in town are taken up by delivery trucks.
3
Thank you, R. My thoughts, exactly. I grew up in a small city whose downtown was eviscerated by a couple of big, soulless malls in the 1970s, the hay day of America's mallification. Good riddance to malls and hello to the prospect of community centers that are actually located in communities.
2
Urban planners should be on this. There are opportunities.
These malls could easily become senior living centers, condos for working age singles, education centers. With the malls existing climate control, indoor exercise/walking paths and a change of stores to include drugstores, groceries, laundromat facilities, maybe even a medical or dental office, this could make independent living for an aging population much more workable.
The vast parking lots could return to urban farmland for nearby residents.
These malls could easily become senior living centers, condos for working age singles, education centers. With the malls existing climate control, indoor exercise/walking paths and a change of stores to include drugstores, groceries, laundromat facilities, maybe even a medical or dental office, this could make independent living for an aging population much more workable.
The vast parking lots could return to urban farmland for nearby residents.
104
Many years ago I visited a rural area in South Australia. All of the services for the community were there. A day care center, a primary school, a high school, a senior citizen center, a community pool, the library and medical and dental care centers. It was an amazing thing to see because it brought all segments of the community's population in touch with one another.
Margo, you're definitely on the right track with your forward thinking and ideas of repurposing these former temples to commerce.
Margo, you're definitely on the right track with your forward thinking and ideas of repurposing these former temples to commerce.
12
I think that many Malls have a problem with asbestos. When any sort of remodeling is done, all the asbestos must go.
Asbestos removal ain't cheap
Asbestos removal ain't cheap
3
Here in Albuquerque, the local Macy's closed. The rest of the stores have to be dying. I always wonder why the empty anchor stores aren't reformatted into the local community colleges, medical training offices, etc.
4
I recognized this problem over a year ago and published an essay on The Huffington Post about how combining retail shopping with sustainable development (something many shoppers are already concerned about) could save the retail shopping industry.
By turning stores into community centers for learning as well as buying AND by leveraging store owners' existing commitments to the environment, social justice, and other pro-healthy society issues, stores could become **essential destinations**: places where people would not just learn which product they wanted to buy but learn why they should buy that product (or from that store) from a socially responsible perspective.
This is one way I believe the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) movement needs to transform... or else witness stores like Macy's disappearing forever.
Here's a link to my article from February 2016...
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/steven-g-brant/what-if-macys-created-a-n_b...
By turning stores into community centers for learning as well as buying AND by leveraging store owners' existing commitments to the environment, social justice, and other pro-healthy society issues, stores could become **essential destinations**: places where people would not just learn which product they wanted to buy but learn why they should buy that product (or from that store) from a socially responsible perspective.
This is one way I believe the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) movement needs to transform... or else witness stores like Macy's disappearing forever.
Here's a link to my article from February 2016...
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/steven-g-brant/what-if-macys-created-a-n_b...
3
There are so many overlapping factors that influence who buys, who does not buy, and how and where people buy. Some buy just for the sake of buying something...anything... It gives them a temporary high, not unlike a drug. Some such folks have cheap taste, while others have more expensive taste, and there are stores, websites (and TV channels, usually for those with cheap taste) for all of them.
Then there are those who need certain items but are strapped for time. They'll use Amazon for very specific orders, and maybe even use their 'Subscribe and Save' (although the 'saving' aspect is usually not realized) option for items they need on a regular basis.
I happen to have two cats yet no car, so I get monthly deliveries of canned food and cat litter from Chewy.com. I never have to worry about running out of food or litter, but more importantly, it saves me from having to take taxis in order to transport these heavy items to my apartment. I also prefer to give my cats all-natural food and I use good quality litter (neither of which are found in local corner stores or supermarkets) so this is yet another reason why I used Chewy.com (since they offer exactly what I need).
There will continue to be a need for high-quality, artisanal type shops in the real world to satisfy those of us for whom attention to detail and truly good quality makes a difference. Certain things really need to be seen and touched in person...in a shop...
Then there are those who need certain items but are strapped for time. They'll use Amazon for very specific orders, and maybe even use their 'Subscribe and Save' (although the 'saving' aspect is usually not realized) option for items they need on a regular basis.
I happen to have two cats yet no car, so I get monthly deliveries of canned food and cat litter from Chewy.com. I never have to worry about running out of food or litter, but more importantly, it saves me from having to take taxis in order to transport these heavy items to my apartment. I also prefer to give my cats all-natural food and I use good quality litter (neither of which are found in local corner stores or supermarkets) so this is yet another reason why I used Chewy.com (since they offer exactly what I need).
There will continue to be a need for high-quality, artisanal type shops in the real world to satisfy those of us for whom attention to detail and truly good quality makes a difference. Certain things really need to be seen and touched in person...in a shop...
10
I bought my kids flip flops for $1 today. I'm sure when I was their age flip flops cost more than that. Clothes are so inexpensive now and the quality is lower than it used to be. Clothes have become disposable and buying them is no longer exciting. That's the biggest reason brick and mortar is dying, and the higher end shops are still hanging in there. For now.
10
Showing my middle age here, but I avoid malls. Why? Lack of effective security. Groups of loud, unruly teenagers. Strange, lone men. I'm really NOT paranoid, but why take chances? The Husband is an expert in internet shopping. And for the Real Experience, I wait until vacation. Downtown Seattle. Nice people, uniformed police, security everywhere. Seriously.
25
Growing up in 1980s suburbia the mall was THE place to hang out. I believe that it can be so again if these places simply diversify and change with the times. Only a certain percentage of the mall should be shops, with the rest devoted to housing/hotels, bars and restaurants as well as entertainment. Tropical greenhouses, miniature golf, and farmer's markets come to mind as places that would draw me to a mall. Heck, bring back the old arcades! If there was an arcade at my local mall with all the retro games that I remember playing as a kid then I'd probably be there every weekend.
16
The passing of the mall takes place in a much more significant context than the writers penetrate, here. Mall culture required the organization of land use policy at the local, municipal and county level around a campaign finance system that made it virtually impossible for civic activists to effectively wage counter-arguments for alternatives; like strengthening town centers, incentivizing walkable communities, and promoting new urbanism. While it is true that new urbanism gained a foothold in the past two decades, it was puny compared to the overwhelming power of sprawl; subdivisions and malls. It is a sad testament to contemporary American culture that a business article from the NY Times on the transformation of retail completely misses the heart of the matter.
36
As population grows, I think online retailing is better. We don't have to drive, thereby saving fuel, avoiding congestion and accidents. Think of all the time you save. It's cruel, but the time has come for brick and mortar to mostly disappear. The only apparel that should be purchased the old way would be bridal and formal wear.
12
"The only apparel that should be purchased the old way would be bridal and formal wear."
I think that many have come to realize that formal wear (and bridal wear in particular, considering it's used for only One Day!) really don't warrant the ridiculous amounts of money that some people spend. Many low-maintenance, sensible women are now turning to used bridal gowns, which can be purchased via many websites.
I think that many have come to realize that formal wear (and bridal wear in particular, considering it's used for only One Day!) really don't warrant the ridiculous amounts of money that some people spend. Many low-maintenance, sensible women are now turning to used bridal gowns, which can be purchased via many websites.
11
But don't the delivery trucks have to drive to you? For your single purchase? The profusion of Fedex Home and UPS trucks circling in our neighborhood are a new kind of congestion.
13
Well, one single delivery truck covers multiple customers (i.e. ten potential cars).
There's your congestion saving.
There's your congestion saving.
3
My mall of choice, 7 miles away, is the Short Hills Mall but it's extremely pricy with very high end stores that I always feel I need to be more dressed up to go into. For clothes, I do prefer to try things on instead of online shopping.
I've decided I basically have what I need and shopping is no longer an activity for me as it was when I was younger in my 20's and 30's, decorating, going out a lot, and keeping up with the fashion.
Being 60 has it's perks.
I've decided I basically have what I need and shopping is no longer an activity for me as it was when I was younger in my 20's and 30's, decorating, going out a lot, and keeping up with the fashion.
Being 60 has it's perks.
47
We're kidding ourselves, and it's frightening.
The decrease in social interactions will inevitably deaden our souls, cheapen our lives, and make us vulnerable to corruption. We are social beings, and the removal of thousands of such interactions every year makes us emotionally numb and unavailable. I see tragedy looming for those who forget how to relate to others.
Shopping on line is convenient. So are vinyl love dolls, which I hear are a booming business.
The decrease in social interactions will inevitably deaden our souls, cheapen our lives, and make us vulnerable to corruption. We are social beings, and the removal of thousands of such interactions every year makes us emotionally numb and unavailable. I see tragedy looming for those who forget how to relate to others.
Shopping on line is convenient. So are vinyl love dolls, which I hear are a booming business.
63
I agree 100%. I realized on my honeymoon in Greece in 1980 how "atomized" we Americans, at least, were becoming. Every evening there, in large cities or small villages, people of all ages gathered in plazas every evening while at home all the neighbors were watching TV in the evening. A good (and short) novel by Isaac Asimov called "The Naked Sun" envisioned a planet where humans only communicated via virtual reality. Sex was abhorrent because it involved human interaction.
3
Well said Sera, I have an idea for new malls, and what you said is the heart of the idea, I think malls should be aimed to specific markets, one done just for sports, one for clothing, one for automotive/motorcycle, small mini amazons/ebays in every sort of mall, one mall for food entretainment and clubing etc.... Malls these days have old fashion managements,they are all the same and boring, they all just get colder
Slip into your local tavern, and you'll prolly get your fill of "interactions."
4
The models for modern e-commerce have been around for almost two centuries. The Bonobos model where you tried things on and then had them shipped to you or brought by delivery wagon were how most people shopped earlier in the 20th Century before everyone had a car. And Sears seems to forget that the Sears Catalog was the basis for its success. One shopped the catalog and things were shipped--maybe on the Wells Fargo Wagon!
The only update is that we are ordering on line instead of over the phone or by mail. Ordering and delivery are faster, but there is essentially no difference in the basic pattern.
This makes the shopping mall look like the aberration rather than the shopping and shipping culture. Dependant on the car, and relying on consumers to schlep their own purchases, the mall had to be something else--a social destination or place to mall-walk or watch a movie. When these activities were replaced by Facebook, 24 hour Fitness and streaming video, even these functions were undermined.
Maybe the zombie malls can be repurposed as schools or prisons. There is still a need for these facilities.
The only update is that we are ordering on line instead of over the phone or by mail. Ordering and delivery are faster, but there is essentially no difference in the basic pattern.
This makes the shopping mall look like the aberration rather than the shopping and shipping culture. Dependant on the car, and relying on consumers to schlep their own purchases, the mall had to be something else--a social destination or place to mall-walk or watch a movie. When these activities were replaced by Facebook, 24 hour Fitness and streaming video, even these functions were undermined.
Maybe the zombie malls can be repurposed as schools or prisons. There is still a need for these facilities.
46
Prisons? I bet THAT will go over well with local communities.
6
Let me suggest that instead of schools OR prisons, shopping malls could be repurposed as schools AND prisons. That could improve various learning related school stats.
1
malls need to be rediscovered.... oriented to specific markets, target specific people and consumers
1
My reason for online shopping is that brick-and-mortar shops no longer carry my sizes! The standard sizes are now too large for men and women! (They say it is for their vanity!). There was a time when stores had in place tailors for minor adjustments. So what choice one has to find a right size garment that fits?
5
If you ask around immigrant communities, you will find ppl who can alter or build clothes from scratch.
3
I recently retired. I have not set foot in a mall in two years, with the exception of a Barnes and Noble. I buy shoes at an independent shoe store. They know exactly what I want. Almost every other retail purchase I make is made at a grocery store or drugstore. I gave away so much stuff Salvation Army stopped taking my calls, and I still have too much. I will never wear out the clothes I have left. Too much, too much, too much.
77
Robots? Home delivery? Farmland? Malls? The jobs will never return. The people won't have any extra money to spend. Can't the college-educated capitalists see this?
26
and the coming wave of technology will replace Amazon's order pickers with robots.
Bonn Germany 06/06/2016
DHL has successfully run a pilot test including robot technology for collaborative automated order picking in a DHL Supply Chain warehouse in Unna, Germany. The robot called EffiBOT from the French start-up Effidence is a new, fully automated trolley that follows pickers through the warehouse and takes care of most of the physical work.
Bonn Germany 06/06/2016
DHL has successfully run a pilot test including robot technology for collaborative automated order picking in a DHL Supply Chain warehouse in Unna, Germany. The robot called EffiBOT from the French start-up Effidence is a new, fully automated trolley that follows pickers through the warehouse and takes care of most of the physical work.
5
But do robots require food, housing, clothes, cars? Who will need or be able to afford goods if robots are our workforce?
4
no, indeed robots do NOT require food, housing, clothes, cars, vacations, sick days, family leave, wages, health care, pensions or a human resource department and is EXACTLY why the confluence of big data, algorithms, robotics and unrelenting miniaturization will drive every profession, every career path, every trade, every job done by humans into oblivion—the bottom line will demand it, quarterly reports have no remorse and no conscience.
4
I shop at Goodwill and other thrift shops and pay pennies on the dollar for the "stuff" I want.
21
First, Robbinsville is 20 miles NORTH of Burlington Center. Second, Burlington is considered to be South Jersey, not central. Otherwise, great article.
10
The old adage still applies: Location, Location, Location. The suburban mall was a result of retailers following their customers to the suburbs after WWII. Sadly, a result of this exodus from living in the City to living in the suburbs left City centers barren and boarded up. Between 1980 and 2005, we saw the over expansion of shopping malls, the over expansion of anchor tenants like, Macy's, Sears and Kmart. And then came the smart phone, the internet and Amazon, where there is only one Location that matters: Your sofa or desk. Now, we're starting to see the next transformation: over supply being transformed into other uses and "catalog stores" like Amazon fulfillment centers popping up just like they did in the 1950's (remember, Sears was a catalog store!) while Millennials break away from the suburbs where they grew up and return to the cities, reinvigorating and recapitalizing the downtown areas. Markets change and so do people. It's just a shame though that we always have to scar the land and create the waste that always comes from our human endeavors.
37
Funny, once malls were seen as soullessness incarnate. Now that they're on their way out, the tune has changed.
From the book review of "The Malling of America" in the NYTimes, 1985:
" Finally, after some 200 pages of wide-eyed recitation, he comes up short to admit, as though to himself, that ''the essence of the mall is control . . . a potentially dangerous mistake,'' its fragile underpinnings supporting ''cathedrals of consumption.''
http://www.nytimes.com/1985/02/17/books/cathedrals-of-consumption.html
Considering how malls were once viewed, I'm surprised there isn't dancing in the streets over the end of malls.
From the book review of "The Malling of America" in the NYTimes, 1985:
" Finally, after some 200 pages of wide-eyed recitation, he comes up short to admit, as though to himself, that ''the essence of the mall is control . . . a potentially dangerous mistake,'' its fragile underpinnings supporting ''cathedrals of consumption.''
http://www.nytimes.com/1985/02/17/books/cathedrals-of-consumption.html
Considering how malls were once viewed, I'm surprised there isn't dancing in the streets over the end of malls.
8
if salespeople in stores actually helped me -- helped me style outfits, help me find the pieces that best worked for me -- I would gladly shop in brick and mortar stores. But most of the time I barely get a "hello" when I walk in a store, much less any actual help... Maybe if there was a bit of innovation, brick and mortar stores could thrive. the in person experience could have a lot of advantages over online...
61
Those days are LONG gone . . .
3
Then will you be willing to pay even more for that service? You may, but most people will not. Salaries do not grow on trees and people cost a lot. You are living in the past and that past will not be coming back.
What you want is an experienced personal stylist. Your not going to get that with someone making minimum wage with no benefits. You get what you pay for and increasingly American's seems to thing they can and should pay rock bottom prices for top quality service and products.
2
There are a lot of opportunities with the abandoned malls I feel. Some are really obvious. So Princeton is my area; sometimes I'm on the PA side for raw milk. Near Langhorne is Sesame Place (owned by SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment) near that is Oxford Valley Mall which has been on the decline. I'm reminded of Kalahari Resort and indoor water park. A great deal of opportunity for SeaWorld if there so inclined. Expand to the mall to create an indoor Sesame Place open year round etc. This an easy opportunity to see.
Other examples for other malls could be indoor parks. When it's 98 degree out during the summer with low of 82, and you have dogs that need to walk.. an indoor park of sorts would be ideal. Charge a user fee/membership whatever.
Other malls only need to expand their movie theater, e.g. Neshaminy Mall in Bensalem. Quakerbridge seems to be on the uplift as Rt 1 shopping zone manages to do fine. Only if DiBrunos were to expand to the area...
All that said, creative thinking is really what will rule the day. Hopefully we can change these places into useful assets before they are taken over by graffiti and nature.. then again at times there is beauty in that too.
Other examples for other malls could be indoor parks. When it's 98 degree out during the summer with low of 82, and you have dogs that need to walk.. an indoor park of sorts would be ideal. Charge a user fee/membership whatever.
Other malls only need to expand their movie theater, e.g. Neshaminy Mall in Bensalem. Quakerbridge seems to be on the uplift as Rt 1 shopping zone manages to do fine. Only if DiBrunos were to expand to the area...
All that said, creative thinking is really what will rule the day. Hopefully we can change these places into useful assets before they are taken over by graffiti and nature.. then again at times there is beauty in that too.
9
Zombie malls? Paging George Romero!
5
Well, It's nice to see this blight wind down. Now I'd like to see the delivery services go under. For decades now, we have literally worshiped at the shrine of conspicuous consumption - commodity fetishism. There are more noble things.
8
" There are more noble things."
Name one!
Name one!
2
if you hate malls and delivery services, I assume you're a farmer?
2
I love shopping online because I hate the general public.
62
Thank you for saying that.
5
"Burlington Center has less than 20 tenants — "
Fewer than 20 tenants, you mean.
Fewer than 20 tenants, you mean.
71
American malls lack what buzzing urban environments offer: Housing, food shops,
restaurants...community. Privatised urban spaces with chain store sameness feel
suffocating. Armed security guards replaced community policing, and restricted hours, lights out, doors locked institutionalized the shopping experience. High mall rents discourage local content and eliminate the autheticity that urban streetscapes once had. No one lives there
and that is the problem.
The best model is for housing, hotels, and office space on top of retail shops incorporated with a transport hub and parking. The recently reconfigured Ala Moana Center in Honolulu is one American
mall that has managed to overcome sterility with adjacent housing, hotels, local content, transport, and a sense of
community.
restaurants...community. Privatised urban spaces with chain store sameness feel
suffocating. Armed security guards replaced community policing, and restricted hours, lights out, doors locked institutionalized the shopping experience. High mall rents discourage local content and eliminate the autheticity that urban streetscapes once had. No one lives there
and that is the problem.
The best model is for housing, hotels, and office space on top of retail shops incorporated with a transport hub and parking. The recently reconfigured Ala Moana Center in Honolulu is one American
mall that has managed to overcome sterility with adjacent housing, hotels, local content, transport, and a sense of
community.
4
Is the Talking Heads' song "Nothing But Flowers" is coming to pass? Online shopping is good to a point. Living in Northern NY, I am forced to shop online for many items. However, if you order clothes and they don't fit or you don't like them, they get expensive to return. Worse yet, all clothes seem to be made in China and elsewhere and don't necessarily run true to North American sizing.
For example, LLBean is a mainstay for me, but I now find myself ordering a size larger than I used to. It's not that I got bigger, it's just that "Large" has become the new "Medium," etc.
Please don't get rid of all the upscale malls. We need refuge from online and catalog shopping.
For example, LLBean is a mainstay for me, but I now find myself ordering a size larger than I used to. It's not that I got bigger, it's just that "Large" has become the new "Medium," etc.
Please don't get rid of all the upscale malls. We need refuge from online and catalog shopping.
4
I personally hate shopping online. But I see a vicious cycle in place at the Queens Center Mall--since in-store sales seem to be dropping, there aren't enough employees to keep the racks straight and to man the cash registers in many stores. Then because it's difficult to find anything, and once you do it takes forever to pay, it's really tempting to just leave the store. Understaffing at Macy's has saved me a ton of money, actually, since I've often decided I didn't need whatever I was in line to buy.
111
Macy's has an online presence too. I've found some deals in the past year on comforters and the like.
Yes, online shopping is increasing and the US has far too much retail space .... about 3x more per capita than Europe. So some stores and malls will close, but most will remain. The key note in the article was this - only 8% of sales are online -
In the last three months of 2016, Americans spent $102.7 billion in online sales, which was 8.3 percent of the overall total of $1.24 trillion in retail sales.
In the last three months of 2016, Americans spent $102.7 billion in online sales, which was 8.3 percent of the overall total of $1.24 trillion in retail sales.
8
I hope they all die, soon, a horrible death and leave vast ugly swaths of retail desert for feckless generations to contemplate- their own personal Kingdoms of Ozymandias. These should be dedicated to those idiots who are inconvenienced by a drive to a mall that is more than 10 minutes and gladly supplied by developers.
A group of us in Northern Rhode Island tried to stop a mall in Northern Rhode that is built on an aquifer. Those of you who don't know what an aquifer is, it is the underground collector and purifier of the water, the mother of reservoirs. They are out of sight and ignorantly ignored. This stupid mall is anchored by a Walmart, so much for the "village" in the title on what was 140 acres of pristine woodland, increasingly rare in our state. We fought tooth and to stop this for years, but aided by the deep pockets of the developers and an illegal slap suit, they won.
I will not step foot inside it. I am simply appalled at the ignorance of people who take the source of their water (and food supply) for granted.
Actually I shop online and see no reason to do otherwise except for food and a few other items. Yes, I know cardboard boxes yada yada which I recycle, better than mowed down animal habitat. And we could all buy less- quelle horreur!
http://www.landandwaterpartnership.org/documents/Summit2010/2D-Shumway.pdf
A group of us in Northern Rhode Island tried to stop a mall in Northern Rhode that is built on an aquifer. Those of you who don't know what an aquifer is, it is the underground collector and purifier of the water, the mother of reservoirs. They are out of sight and ignorantly ignored. This stupid mall is anchored by a Walmart, so much for the "village" in the title on what was 140 acres of pristine woodland, increasingly rare in our state. We fought tooth and to stop this for years, but aided by the deep pockets of the developers and an illegal slap suit, they won.
I will not step foot inside it. I am simply appalled at the ignorance of people who take the source of their water (and food supply) for granted.
Actually I shop online and see no reason to do otherwise except for food and a few other items. Yes, I know cardboard boxes yada yada which I recycle, better than mowed down animal habitat. And we could all buy less- quelle horreur!
http://www.landandwaterpartnership.org/documents/Summit2010/2D-Shumway.pdf
60
Yes, I understand the idea of mall blight. And it seems so easy to just click and then have the packages arrive on the doorstep, voila. Shockingly quickly, as I discovered with Zappos. But remember, online goods have to come from gigantic windowless fulfillment centers, with employees scurrying up and down aisles like rats, meeting appalling quotas. And then the turck or air shipping, to your town, and the UPS trucks circling, circling the neighborhood. And what about all the customers who see free shipping as a way to indiscriminatingly sample multiple options and send most packages back, for a return journey? What pampered, wasteful and possibly lazy customers we've all become.
11
To Karen:
Lately I've been thinking a lot about the "windowless fulfillment centers with employees scurrying up and down aisles like rats, meeting appalling quotas."
This is because last month I was offered an opportunity to live in Paris and, not having traveled for years, I needed to acquire a variety of supplies quickly. I regret to admit it, but I bought all my supplies through Amazon.com.
With one click of the mouse, I was able to order a wide variety of items: luggage and associated accessories, clothing and shoes, specialized toiletries, a camera, and books. Everything arrived on time, was well packed, and was exactly as described on the web. When I needed to return some items, the procedure was easy and the refund was quick.
I ordered these items knowing that Amazon employees were being exploited so that I'd have a quick and easy shopping experience. I admit it: I – who talks about workers' rights – am a hypocrite. I did what was quick and easy.
Could there be a way for me to have a similarly trouble-free shopping experience without workers being exploited?
Lately I've been thinking a lot about the "windowless fulfillment centers with employees scurrying up and down aisles like rats, meeting appalling quotas."
This is because last month I was offered an opportunity to live in Paris and, not having traveled for years, I needed to acquire a variety of supplies quickly. I regret to admit it, but I bought all my supplies through Amazon.com.
With one click of the mouse, I was able to order a wide variety of items: luggage and associated accessories, clothing and shoes, specialized toiletries, a camera, and books. Everything arrived on time, was well packed, and was exactly as described on the web. When I needed to return some items, the procedure was easy and the refund was quick.
I ordered these items knowing that Amazon employees were being exploited so that I'd have a quick and easy shopping experience. I admit it: I – who talks about workers' rights – am a hypocrite. I did what was quick and easy.
Could there be a way for me to have a similarly trouble-free shopping experience without workers being exploited?
2
To Karen and Pam,
I am aware of the wretched exploitation of the Amazon workers. I am also aware of of just how much suffering that goes into every item we buy, from the cheap jeans from Bangladesh to the cheap shrimp cleaned by children in Southeast Asia. It is hard and worth the extra effort to try to buy responsibly. Workers are exploited everywhere in the name of profit and have little recourse. Our unions make up only 11% of the work force. Very few retail outlets are heaven to work in, the pay is low and hours long any many don't offer health insurance.
Recently Bernie Sanders went down to a Nissan plant in Mississippi, where they got away with lower wages and horrific and dangerous working conditions. Nissan got away with it because Mississippi tolerates it.
This does not excuse Jeff Bezos, this is the common plight of labor in the world except perhaps the more enlightened companies in Northern Europe.
We are pampered, wasteful and lazy.
I am aware of the wretched exploitation of the Amazon workers. I am also aware of of just how much suffering that goes into every item we buy, from the cheap jeans from Bangladesh to the cheap shrimp cleaned by children in Southeast Asia. It is hard and worth the extra effort to try to buy responsibly. Workers are exploited everywhere in the name of profit and have little recourse. Our unions make up only 11% of the work force. Very few retail outlets are heaven to work in, the pay is low and hours long any many don't offer health insurance.
Recently Bernie Sanders went down to a Nissan plant in Mississippi, where they got away with lower wages and horrific and dangerous working conditions. Nissan got away with it because Mississippi tolerates it.
This does not excuse Jeff Bezos, this is the common plight of labor in the world except perhaps the more enlightened companies in Northern Europe.
We are pampered, wasteful and lazy.
1
I'm 23 years old. I shop at retailers when the experience makes sense; Nike, Apple - or when stores are ideal/convenient: Target, Trader Joes, CVS.
Otherwise, it's Wayfair, Amazon (Prime and Prime Now), and the traditional retailer online: ex. BedBathandBeyond.com.
50% in-store
50% online
I still go to malls. I like eating and relaxing at them. Retail is not dead, the market changing for the better. I have more money for healthcare and housing (which I desperately need).
Otherwise, it's Wayfair, Amazon (Prime and Prime Now), and the traditional retailer online: ex. BedBathandBeyond.com.
50% in-store
50% online
I still go to malls. I like eating and relaxing at them. Retail is not dead, the market changing for the better. I have more money for healthcare and housing (which I desperately need).
8
On a per unit sold basis, malls are not energy efficient, nor are they an efficient use of land. Building more of them is going to become something that developers and city/town planners will be eschewing.
So let's plan smart as a nation. Emphasize the importance of the fresh food, grocery and everyday household item supply chain. Recycle the mall buildings as Miller says, and to Miller's list I would add schools, municipal services, elder and child day care, quick care clinics.
As a country we have moved from farmer to laborer to clerk. Now we need to move on to sensible, self-sustaining consumer and contributor to society.
Fifty years ago Joni sang: "They paved paradise, and put up a parking lot."
Maybe now we should start paying attention.
So let's plan smart as a nation. Emphasize the importance of the fresh food, grocery and everyday household item supply chain. Recycle the mall buildings as Miller says, and to Miller's list I would add schools, municipal services, elder and child day care, quick care clinics.
As a country we have moved from farmer to laborer to clerk. Now we need to move on to sensible, self-sustaining consumer and contributor to society.
Fifty years ago Joni sang: "They paved paradise, and put up a parking lot."
Maybe now we should start paying attention.
12
Our family retail men's store was in business almost 80 years when the traffic in downtown Carlisle PA began to decline. The malls had arrived. We opened our first mall store in 1979 and it was our last too. Three generations of our family made a living in our stores. In 1995 we closed our last brick and mortar store and our last mall kiosk. In today's retail environment we couldn't even open the door least of all stay in business for several generations.
I don't feel sorry for the mall operators and I don't envy the on-line retailer. Each has their day in the sun. There are many reasons that retail changed but in my view the biggest reason was the avalanche of foreign goods that literally dissolved American manufacturing and industry. When those jobs left so did our customers. If you're not working you can't afford to buy anything at any price. The malls and the on-line retailers are now locked in a death spiral chasing the lowest prices. No one wins that battle.
Retail used to mean downtown stores, family ownership and a multitude of fresh, new products supplied by American vendors. It also meant big name downtown stores like Pomeroy's, Bowman's, John Wanamaker, I Magnin and a host of other larger department stores that carried different and competitive merchandise. No longer.
The downtowns are empty as are the malls. So are the factories. It took almost 30 years to gut American industry including retail.
Online commerce too will be another flash in the pan.
I don't feel sorry for the mall operators and I don't envy the on-line retailer. Each has their day in the sun. There are many reasons that retail changed but in my view the biggest reason was the avalanche of foreign goods that literally dissolved American manufacturing and industry. When those jobs left so did our customers. If you're not working you can't afford to buy anything at any price. The malls and the on-line retailers are now locked in a death spiral chasing the lowest prices. No one wins that battle.
Retail used to mean downtown stores, family ownership and a multitude of fresh, new products supplied by American vendors. It also meant big name downtown stores like Pomeroy's, Bowman's, John Wanamaker, I Magnin and a host of other larger department stores that carried different and competitive merchandise. No longer.
The downtowns are empty as are the malls. So are the factories. It took almost 30 years to gut American industry including retail.
Online commerce too will be another flash in the pan.
95
Still blaming everything on Bill Clinton "almost 30 years" ago. Trite.
Dizzy5 upstate Manhattan- I don't see any mention of Bill Clinton in my commentary. If you do maybe you feel guilty about supporting or voting for Bill and recently for Hillary. She and Bill remain very disconnected from the plight of the middle class and during Hillary's campaign she unashamedly proclaimed "Those jobs are not coming back". Then she proclaimed, thoughtlessly, that many coal miners would be unemployed and coal would be shut down. Yes, it took 30 years and the signing of Nafta and other worthless trade agreements that failed to protect American industry and American workers. Nothing was gained by seeking cheap labor and driving prices to the bottom while jobs, industry and research and development were also slashed to nothingness. I didn't originally mention Bill, but, since you opened the door, yes, Bill did a lot of damage. So did others. Now we're paying for it.
11
Most American jobs were and still are overpaid by global standards. Until we have a large scale move to Foxconn style manufacturing and the low overhead, we will continue to bleed jobs.
2
After Trump H&C buys these failed malls for the tax credits, then Jared can REIT the properties to the Chinese, and DeVos can open Rabbinical/Evangelical Mega Schools, 'where your children are free to run and play, to learn and pray!' Wow! Ivanka starts a snappy children's fashion line, and Czars of All Things can anchor the whole Edu operation with Fed lunch program Pizza Hut and Chucky Cheeses!
Trump H&C&Es IPO will take off like gangbusters, pay 8.34% premiums from taxpayers credits it receives, and become bigger than Amazon in a few years.
'So cheap! And so easy!' MAGA!!
Trump H&C&Es IPO will take off like gangbusters, pay 8.34% premiums from taxpayers credits it receives, and become bigger than Amazon in a few years.
'So cheap! And so easy!' MAGA!!
20
I need to try clothes on before I buy them. Some people are picky with how things fit. I get way too nervous ordering stuff online, most of the time I don't hit the checkout button. So I had sat there for hours looking at stuff and carefully placing things in my 'shopping cart', intent on purchasing, to come to the end and just leave the website or close the laptop altogether. I don't know the fit, the texture, what it truly is like till I see it in person. And then I fear I'm going to get it and not like it and forget or not get around to sending it back before it's too late. Plus, who wants to ship all these things back and forth! All this worry over clothes...lol. I can't do it.
20
Also in central Jersey, a 35,000-square-foot mall, Montgomery Promenade, is about to be built just north of Princeton, a stunningly bad decision in an area starved for green space. I look forward to its rapid demise--or equally rapid conversion into much-needed low-income housing.
30
For the most part, malls are ugly structures, not enticing in any way. A local mall here recently underwent renovations. It was long overdue, and maybe too little too late. The mall itself was like walking into a cave; all shades of brown, low light, very claustrophobic. Did the original architects not realize they were in Southern California? Use the natural light, make some of the outside as part of the mall--which has now been done. Another here looks like a monolith from the approach from the main artery. One has no idea it is a supposed place of commerce. Once inside it is all vertical with no clear pattern of how to get up or down from one level to another. It once held a Lord & Taylor; all the large stores have since fled leaving only the movie theater (accessible directly from parking lot) and some restaurants. If the buildings can't entice from the outside, what's the point?
13
One of these must be Westminster Mall.
4
Many, maybe most mall were designed and built on the cheap...so they are ugly.
2
My guess for The Monolith would be the Beverly Center.
1
Most of the things I purchase are purchased based on utility, appearance, and price. I don't engage in "retail therapy". Outside of food, most of my purchases are made online. I prefer the opportunity to research the quality/suitability of a desired item online. Also - no individual retailer can possibly offer the range of products available online.
There's the added plus of benefitting from other people's reviews. This includes personal insights and experience-based advice. On top of that, even though I reside in an urban center, saving the drive time and related hassles associated with the coming and going to a retail center is very attractive.
For those who invoke the coach-potato syndrome - the economy of online shopping allows me to spend more time gardening, swimming at the local pool, or riding my bike. I think that brick and mortar retail will continue to shrink. From the standpoint of the environment, it's also greener and that's a good thing.
What to do with the malls of yesteryear? How about turning them over to the community colleges? Instead of exchanging money for goods in a physical setting how about creating more centers for the exchange of ideas and personal interaction? How about more quality daycare for working moms and dads and their children? I think that society would benefit from that kind of shift. Aren't those the types of gains that technology is supposed to provide us with?
There's the added plus of benefitting from other people's reviews. This includes personal insights and experience-based advice. On top of that, even though I reside in an urban center, saving the drive time and related hassles associated with the coming and going to a retail center is very attractive.
For those who invoke the coach-potato syndrome - the economy of online shopping allows me to spend more time gardening, swimming at the local pool, or riding my bike. I think that brick and mortar retail will continue to shrink. From the standpoint of the environment, it's also greener and that's a good thing.
What to do with the malls of yesteryear? How about turning them over to the community colleges? Instead of exchanging money for goods in a physical setting how about creating more centers for the exchange of ideas and personal interaction? How about more quality daycare for working moms and dads and their children? I think that society would benefit from that kind of shift. Aren't those the types of gains that technology is supposed to provide us with?
62
"What to do with the malls of yesteryear? How about turning them over..."
Re-purposing buildings is very difficult and expensive. Nearly every dead mall will be demolished.
Re-purposing buildings is very difficult and expensive. Nearly every dead mall will be demolished.
3
I look for books I want to buy by going to Amazon's website. When I settle on something, I call up my local independent bookstore and ask them to order it for me. I go there to pick it up, and to browse for something else I might like. In the process, I run into people I like and we interact socially. The local bookstore provides a physical space for like minded people to inhabit and meet casually. It helps make our community (plus it employs eight really great people).
20
A lot of these mall space can be turned into social service, education, and childcare facility, all of which provide not only jobs, but also a useful functions to enriching everyone's life. That way, these places will continue to serve a gathering place for human activities, rather than dead zones that only weeds will grow.
The shift to online will accelerate, millennials' preference to experience rather than material purchase will gel, and not much that brick-and-martar stores can do about it. I consider that a good thing. Why would we need to change wardrobe every season anyways, just because retailers are coming out with some variations of the same from the last season's merchandise? We would all be better serve to pay more for one good-quality jacket that last a long time, than buying ten different ones that won't even last for a season.
The shift to online will accelerate, millennials' preference to experience rather than material purchase will gel, and not much that brick-and-martar stores can do about it. I consider that a good thing. Why would we need to change wardrobe every season anyways, just because retailers are coming out with some variations of the same from the last season's merchandise? We would all be better serve to pay more for one good-quality jacket that last a long time, than buying ten different ones that won't even last for a season.
Online you cannot touch it, measure it, feel its texture, hold it up to real light. Online you cannot run into friends, meet new people, talk to salespeople. I love stores, especially those I can walk to.
51
Every time I've been to a store recently, they lack choice, the proper size, style or specification I need. There is no natural light, and the salespeople are generally uneducated about their product. I once asked for cheesecloth and was directed to the dairy aisle.
23
I was at the grocery store recently, looking at yogurt. The cheese section was right next to the yogurt section, where I saw a confused young couple. They asked me "Hey, we've been looking for the Swiss Chard, is it here, or in the deli section?"
2
Remember when malls replaced downtown shopping areas places for people to go to? Once gigantic Amazon warehouses replace malls, where will the people go? Nowhere? Constantly wired to electronics? Remember WALL-E?
53
Yes. We forget that we are foremost a social species. We try to solve this isolation "problem" with increasingly sophisticated social apps, but deep down, we really need to talk face-to-face with people, and have human emotions on our faces. It is a requirement. Avatars won't cut it.
2
The trouble with "lifestyle" reporting like this is that it is so ahistorical. there was a time a couple generations or so ago when people went to specialty and department stores (esp. the latter)., tried on clothes and the store delivered them. Actually, shoppers did this with just about everything in the store. You could even use the current technology (telephone) to place orders based on the current advertising medium (newspapers and later television). In other words, there's nothing new about Bonobos. Unless the merchandise goes completely away (e.g., hats for everyday wear), the retail landscape reconstitutes itself pretty well and often simply recreates the past.
27
Why should I have to deal with the traffic of having to drive to a mall, waste time looking for parking, have to then pay for it, then have to walk around a garage in the cold winter looking for my car when I can just shop in the comfort of my home with one click on a computer and have the items delivered to my door step?
Shopping is no longer an exciting experience. Malls need to transform themselves into places that provide unique interesting experiences like concerts, plays, wine tastings, book readings, etc...that's what people are looking for -- more interesting experiences than what they are going through during the week -- where they are stuck in cubicles for 8 hours a day doing boring mundane work.
Maybe the phenomenon of declining malls is related to the creation of the cubicle; As more and more jobs are outsourced and as fewer people get to work with their hands doing more creative things, the need for "entertaining" experiences has expanded.
Shopping is no longer an exciting experience. Malls need to transform themselves into places that provide unique interesting experiences like concerts, plays, wine tastings, book readings, etc...that's what people are looking for -- more interesting experiences than what they are going through during the week -- where they are stuck in cubicles for 8 hours a day doing boring mundane work.
Maybe the phenomenon of declining malls is related to the creation of the cubicle; As more and more jobs are outsourced and as fewer people get to work with their hands doing more creative things, the need for "entertaining" experiences has expanded.
63
"Malls need to transform themselves into places that provide unique interesting experiences like concerts, plays, wine tastings, book readings, etc...that's what people are looking for -- more interesting experiences than what they are going through during the week"
We used to call those places downtowns.
We used to call those places downtowns.
117
"Km" -- No one wants to go to a mall for wine-tastings. Closer to the truth is that much of what mall stores sold in the 70s-thru the 90s was junk. It is still junk, but now we buy it at home from a web browser. A wine-tasting wont bring people to the malls again.
2
Yes, this is totally true. But there aren't downtowns anymore, and this is the crux of the problem. It's suburbia and exurbia everywhere, it seems.
Oh, I keep dreaming of a townhouse in San Francisco...
Oh, I keep dreaming of a townhouse in San Francisco...
1
Turn the malls into housing: student, senior, low-income, high income. Keep a restaurant or two, put in a grocery/convenience store. Turn them into jails, prisons. A place to house equipment and salt. Or, museums.
56
Zombie Malls should soon be micro-communities. It's already happening in several markets. Small apartments with amenities including coffee/lunch/dinner venues, a gym, movie theater, will be increasingly attractive to retiring boomers.
6
Turn them into jails? Prisons? Excuse me???
1
This is at least the third comment I've read suggesting turning these ugly monstrosities into even uglier artifacts, prisons or jails. Ah, what's up with dat?
3