Your local mall?

[SumDay]

We had a much beloved mall of 40+ years torn down, to be replaced by a Wal-Mart. They held an auction to sell off memorabilia from years past, and Santa's chair went for $2K. A huge inflatable snow globe that was always the centerpiece of the mall went for $1K. My first walking shoes came from there, my first prom dress, and my wedding dress all came from there. I used to push my kids around in a stroller there on crummy weather days. There's a Facebook group for it where people still discuss memories.

The newer, bigger better mall that was blamed for running this one out of business is now 25+ years old and struggling. Sears will soon create a vacancy, and there's regular reports of Saturday night fights after the movies let out. Yet across the street is a blocks long strip mall which seems to thrive. Very interesting what succeeds and what flops. Seems to change with the wind.

This site is pretty interesting: DeadMalls.com

 

[Walt34]

Our local mall. Cherry Creek Mall, in Denver is doing well enough to charge for parking.

Amazing. No way would I pay to park at a mall.

 

[HFWR]

One fairly close, which used to be one of “the” malls, is all but abandoned, and city officials are working to repurpose, i.e. convert to one more “town center”, which are already saturated enough that they’re cannibalizing each other.

A mall in Frisco, one of the next layers of exurbs, was very busy a couple of weekends ago when my SO and I attended a movie theater there.

 

[HawkeyeNFO]

The malls here are bizarre. Tysons Corner has 2 malls that seem to be doing just fine, judging by the low vacancy: One that is busy and upscale, and another one that is even more expensive than that. The second mall is usually empty of people, because most people can't afford things there. I guess if they sell one $1,500 handbag or a single pair of $900 shoes in a day, they make a profit. Then there is the Pentagon City mall, across from the Pentagon. It seems to be a bit more affordable, and is quite busy. Further out from the District, some of the malls are struggling a bit more.

 

[Chuckanut]

After spending years on the list of Abandoned Malls of America, the local mall was bought up by a developer who tore most of it down, and has rebuilt it as a somewhat upscale shopping area. So far it seems to be working well.

 

[HI Bill]

I've been visiting Honolulu's premier mall, Ala Moana Shopping Center, for more than 25 years. It's constantly being rebuilt, upgraded, with sections being torn down and rebuilt. Gone is Sears, but in its place, are two of four mid-size towers housing luxury apartments. Nordstrom built a store and parking garage, only to abandon it (now Target and a gym), and built a new store at the far end of the mall. The mall is almost always packed with locals an tourists. It thrives, and empty stores only stay that way during renovations. We have Norstrom, Bloomingdales, Neiman Marcus, Macy's, Sacks Fifth, and tons of botique clothing, jewelry, and shoe stores, along with dozens of restaurants.

All told, there are some 350 stores and restaurants. Only the subterranean Shirokya Village Walk (mostly Asian/Japanese food) has many empty spaces.

We also have a number of high-end tourist shopping centers and an outlet shopping center. Lowe's and Home Depot are doing well here. Retail isn't dead, but it is slowly withering in some of the state's smaller more local malls.

...and a brand new mall was just completed in Kapolei!

 

[haha]

It would be great if downtown could recover its old popularity and most people lived close enough to use active transportation to shop.

Two big problems with downtown shopping, although I prefer it anyway. Parking and crime. Seattle is actively trying to discourage cars coming into town, and if you do come parking is astronomically expensive. Crime varies, but there is too much of it for sure.

I ride the bus or if it's dry I walk And I keep my eyes open to try to avoid the other trouble. You aren't ever going to see me with with my ears clogged by earphones or earbuds. Except maybe at home in my living room.

Ha

 

[Cut-Throat]

Yup, Malls are pretty much dead.... I have not been in one in years... My preferred shopping trip is on my couch with a glass of wine, surfing the net with my Laptop.


On-Line shopping has improved so much over the last 10 years, there is no advantage in leaving the Couch.... I buy Shoes at Shoe Buy... Free Shipping Both Ways (If you return them)... They always have what I want in my size.


Amazon now has a Warehouse here (Minneapolis Area) and I can order stuff and have it delivered in 2 hours.


That's progress and I'm glad to see the Malls go... Put up some great restaurants instead. The only Constant in this World is Change!

 

[mystang52]

We had a much beloved mall of 40+ years torn down, to be replaced by a Wal-Mart. They held an auction to sell off memorabilia from years past, and Santa's chair went for $2K. A huge inflatable snow globe that was always the centerpiece of the mall went for $1K. My first walking shoes came from there, my first prom dress, and my wedding dress all came from there. I used to push my kids around in a stroller there on crummy weather days. There's a Facebook group for it where people still discuss memories.

The newer, bigger better mall that was blamed for running this one out of business is now 25+ years old and struggling. Sears will soon create a vacancy, and there's regular reports of Saturday night fights after the movies let out. Yet across the street is a blocks long strip mall which seems to thrive. Very interesting what succeeds and what flops. Seems to change with the wind.

This site is pretty interesting: DeadMalls.com

Paramus, right? My guess is that part of their success is due to people coming in from NYC to buy clothing with zero sales tax. And, once you've made the trip, may as well have a meal and see what else is on offer.

Yep, you win the prize!


One of the 3 malls I mentioned had originally fallen into less-than-pristine shape, with a supposed anchor store of some schlock merchandise. The mall was basically torn down and replaced as an upscale outlet store; this is the one that is expanding by 60 stores or so. I go to it periodically, but only weekday mornings. It's way too crowded on weekends and definitely Christmas shopping season.

 

[sengsational]

Amazing. No way would I pay to park at a mall.

They'd have to pay ME to go to a mall! This has been true for my entire life.



I don't shop. I buy. Before online shopping, I called, assured they had my item, drove to the store, bought the item, then came home. Why would I go to a mall, where I have no idea which entrance to park near, then wander around trying to find the store I needed, when I could simply pull-up to the store I wanted?

 

[HadEnuff]

about 3 years ago I went to the local Dick's Sporting Goods, and picked up 4 or 5 items. I went to the checkout line. They had 7 or 8 registers, only one open, and 15 of us in that line.
Then I hear from the check out girl, to the customer she was ringing out "Do you have a Dick's Card?", and she didn't but she wanted one so we all waited while the application process proceeded right then. I looked over at two managers who were folding sweaters and I said, in a rather loud voice, "Hey, how about opening another register?"

One of them responded, "we aren't allowed to until 5 PM". It was about 4:45, and I responded in even louder voice, "Well, you tell whoever made that decision that I can buy all of this online, and I will. See ya!", and I put all of the stuff down and walked out, and several other people did likewise.

I have not been back in that store since.

 

[ocean view]

We stopped for lunch at the large outlet mall about 30 miles south of us a few weeks ago. Foot traffic on a weekday was typically light. But what surprised us was all Chinese language announcements/ads that played in between in 80’s music piped throughout the mall. DH said that apparently we were not the target market.

 

[FIREd]

1 mall dead (being demolished)
1 mall dying (lots of vacancies)
1 mall (the most upscale) doing OK

 

[athena53]

<snip>I have not been back in that store since.

And she probably would have been reprimanded (or worse) if she hadn't asked if they had the store credit card or if she'd opened another cash register 15 minutes early.

Way to empower your employees.

 

[CardsFan]

They'd have to pay ME to go to a mall! This has been true for my entire life.



I don't shop. I buy. Before online shopping, I called, assured they had my item, drove to the store, bought the item, then came home. Why would I go to a mall, where I have no idea which entrance to park near, then wander around trying to find the store I needed, when I could simply pull-up to the store I wanted?

We must be twins

 

[TappyGee]

We used to enjoy hanging out at out mall. The highlight of the day was going to the Harvest House cafeteria and picking out our meal. Over time the bad neighborhoods expanded ever closer to the mall. Muggings and car thefts became common. Police “substation” booths were set-up in the parking lot. Gangs roved inside the mall and harassed patrons. Everyone I know stopped going, the mall died, and it was eventually bulldozed over.

A newer, “fancy” mall was built in a lower crime area. I go once a year to watch people and maybe grab a few Christmas gifts. But really there is little in this mall of interest to me. Swarovski Crystal, Louis Vuitton purses, expensive pen or sock stores and the like have nothing for me. These massively over-priced single vendor/product stores are the bulk of the stores in our mall. And NONE of the stores offer clothes for a heavier than normal body.

Ehhh. I miss the malls of the past but life changes.

 

[morriss003]

We just came back from our local mall. A sad and upsetting scene. the huge parking lot which had room for thousands of cars was empty except for 7 trucks and maybe 75 cars. From 125 stores, down to 8 or 10 smaller stores... gone are Sears, Penneys, and Bergners (BonTon) the anchors. Marshalls is the only semi large store, and the movie theater are the only 2 general draws.
The interior has been well maintained, and the mall is still heated and air conditioned.
The other major feature is rather sad... open for seniors walking, and one semi-large store turned into a function room for the local hospital. Tai Chi classes and health presentations... in use about 7 hours a week.

There are two other shopping centers with multiple stores... one headed by Walmart, and the other by Target. The multiple stores in these centers seem to be doing well, so the semi metro area that these centers serve... (est. 60,000 homes in a 35 mile radius.) keep our town as a "center".

What happens next? The mall is 465,000 square ft. and sure to be empty within a year or two.

So, that's the sad tale from our town. What is happening to the mall nearest to you? Still operating? anchors? # of stores still in business? Alternate uses? torn down? And what of the shopping habits of the area residents. Alternate malls? Shopping centers?

Of course Amazon... but what else is there to take up the slack? Have some of the larger stores, like our Menards changed or added to the kinds of merchandise that they formerly carried? Like a limited grocery or clothing section. In a relatively short time... maybe 10 years, the face of retailing in the U.S. has changed dramatically. What will happen to all the acreage that formerly housed what used to be part of our lives.

I know this has been discussed before, but think it would be interesting to get an update from different locations.

This is the same situation on Maui. Our local malls are struggling. Not surprising. Most people buy from Amazon, Walmart, or Target.

 

[Breedlove]

We have an outlet mall near Fairfield , they have a gimmick they run a bus from the airport to the mall . lots of the people at the mall are Chinese . They tell us they can't buy this stuff in China ….Ha that is where it is made . But overall the mall is declining .
We know the guy who runs the Timex store , he tells us that the rent keeps going up and up.

 

[COcheesehead]

Farmer’s markets ^^^
Malls ¥¥¥

 

[CardsFan]

We have an outlet mall near Fairfield , they have a gimmick they run a bus from the airport to the mall . lots of the people at the mall are Chinese . They tell us they can't buy this stuff in China ….Ha that is where it is made . But overall the mall is declining .
We know the guy who runs the Timex store , he tells us that the rent keeps going up and up.

Bold is mine.

Having hosted dozens of Chinese groups, for Megacorp, and having traveled to China dozens of times, it amazes me the things we take for granted, that ARE made in China, that they have no access to. Every single visitor that I have hosted has spent at least $100, and more commonly close to $500 (or more) on things made in China. Jeans, backpacks, tents, vitamins/supplements, electronics (computers, phones). I have walked thru the stores over there. The local products are even more inferior than what we get, and the name brands are twice the price.

 

[Breedlove]

This is true a business friend told me that these products are built stuck on a container and they never see it .

 

[vipogi]

A view from outside the country

In Colombia (specifically I know Medellin) there are large fancy malls spaced about a mile apart, some even closer. There are so many you can't even count them. People go there in droves to hang out, have their kids play in the lovely play areas, of course there are lots of retail shops and restaurants.

The reason for all the malls, beside the obvious growing middle class there? There is no mass market delivery system. There is no postal service. (Think about that... it is really strange, bills are often hand delivered by small services and either slipped under your door or given to the "porteria".) If you ship something to Colombia it will be delivered by the likes of DHL but it is super expensive. There is no regular first class mail service. Uber, however, is everywhere! Amazon would have a very hard time operating there. It's a prime market ready for exploitation but there would be a lot of ground work to be done. Anyway, unless you want something delivered, it's kind of nice to have so many choices for shopping and browsing in a beautiful space; a little bit of nostalgia.

 

[Sunset]

Today I went to Kohls to pick up something I had ordered online from them, it's close so I can't justify the $8 shipping for 1 item. (shipping would be free if it cost over $50).
So I see in the shopping center, the Lowes is still empty for about 10 years now since they left, and a Starbucks left last year, along with an eyeglass store. Really there is only Kohl's there in the entire shopping center.

Later in day I go get groceries, in this strip mall, 3 or 4 of the small stores out of 5 are empty, everyone just goes to the grocery store.