An Argument to Resuscitate the American Mall
Gone are the times in which the average American needed to get off his/her keister in order to shop for a new summer outfit. With the prevalence of online shopping, it is easier now more than ever to order that scandalous bathing suit from the comfort of the infamous couch. But even when the day arrives where you decide you want to physically feel the softness of silk before you purchase it, where do you venture? Where does one go in order to seek a variety of clothes, a weird amalgam of food, or aggressive kiosk merchants? The answer is: The Shopping Mall.
Some of my favorite memories as a child and teen were born in a mall. I frequented all of them around the Houston area (My favorites were Memorial City, the Galleria, and Katy Mills mall). There is something about malls that feels very comforting to me. Whether it’s the buzz of the shoppers, the variety of 3rd-rate shops, or the quiet hum of the alternating escalators, I will never forget the emotions that a mall evokes.
Recently, however, that zest for a good mall has dulled. Maybe it’s because the glitz has worn off over the years, but I suspect something else. I believe that my enthusiasm towards a mall has dwindled because of the decline of retail stores and malls. Malls are closing down in every state and the rise of the term dead mall is just beginning. Amazon and online retailers have crushed the American spirit for a good mall.
As an early 2000’s teen, going to a mall with your friends was the hippest thing to do. Shop for a bit, maybe catch a movie if the mall had a theater, and have a grease filled dinner at a half-KFC-half-Taco-Bell. You would be ex-communicated from your friend group if you suggested to spend time at a mall now, which I understand. There are plenty of better options nowadays instead of going to a mall. There’s food truck parks, Capital One Cafes, or just being in the comfort of home with a laptop. Americans are now, arguably, smarter with their money now as well. Tighter grips on individual wallets equals worse experience at the mall.
But Frank, what constitutes a good, popular mall? Despite loving quieter, low-key malls, I’ve compiled a list of traits that successful, popular malls have. Here is the list, kind reader:
Quality Stores
Not a single person will step foot into the mall for an optical scope store (actual store at the Barton Creek Mall). It’s also not the type of storefront that people want to meander around after they finish shopping. These 2nd, 3rd tier stores (Nordstrom Rack, Spencer Gifts) are horrible options for big spenders, who you want at the mall.
2) Variety of Options
A mall should also have a variety of activities to do. It can’t just be shopping nowadays. There needs to be activity, photo-booths, dance cardio classes in the middle of the mall. Have some events going on constantly, mall owners. I walk into a dead mall nowadays and see nothing but a trashed-out Easter Bunny and a point-and-shoot camera. A movie theater is also now crucial to the success of a mall.
3) Food Choices
People have more food allergies now than any point in the history of time. Have some variety for people who want to eat non-dairy, non-GMO, or vegan. If your mall has Burger King and an American Deep-fried “Asian” restaurant next to each other, you’re on the wrong side of change. We need Boba-tea places, Specialty Tacos, and CBD stores.
4) Walkability/Layout
The amount of times I see a Cheesecake Factory next to an ice-skating rink next to a Hot Topic would surprise you. Why am I walking miles to get to an Apple Store, then walking back to get to the food court? We need to lay out malls properly if we want a pleasant transfer of stores.
5) Decor
One can make the argument that indoor malls are out (for places with fair weather). Premium Outlets and open lay-out malls are high class, usually cleaner (ironically), with more of a campus feel rather than a prison sentence. Decor can really enhance the theme and experience of a mall. Throwing a couple Barcaloungers and dentist-office plants around doesn’t make a mall cozy.
With that being said, here is my pitch to establish a concept I call: "New Mall”. New Mall needs to have the coziness of an rustic coffee-shop, the variety of an arcade, and the walkways of an airport. Memorial City Mall in Houston, Texas does a great job of creating a forest atmosphere theme, but it’s only in certain sections of the mall. We’re striving for a place in which kids want to play, teens want to loiter, and adults want to escape to. New Mall is the spot. The living room among the chaos of retail. Bring in the hipster coffee shops and take out one of the overflowing sneaker stores at New Mall.
Consumers are waiting to spend their cash and time at a place in which they feel comfort. Americans deserve a new brand of socialization. Lets extend a new frontier of shopping and leisure. I, for one, cannot wait for the resurgence of the most beloved of them all.
(n.d.). American Mall Decline. Business Insider. https://www.businessinsider.com/american-mall-decline-150-left-10-years-how-many-2022-10
