How U.S. Malls Survived The Death Of Department Stores

[@retailytt]

Funny thing is the original architect behind malls, Victor Gruen, intended them to be community centers not just shopping...so this adaptation is actually them going back to their original intent

[@wplants9793]

Yes Gruen was socialist in the idea of brining people together. I remember hearing of him because he made Southdale Mall in Minnesota, the first enclosed mall

[@connecticutaggie]

Another thing that is impacting mall recovery is location. Where regional malls have mostly recovered their patrons, downtown malls have not.

[@krist-yonnarain7786]

I agree big cities don’t really need malls because they have traditional shopping districts. Without some other pull malls in those areas cant really compete.

[@connecticutaggie]

@@krist-yonnarain7786 Most big cities have good successful suburban malls, they are just not downtown. I think for most people, malls are a destination. Downtowns are already their own destination with shops and restraints and don't really benefit from a mall.

[@Jasmine215100]

Sometimes, downtown urban parking is hard to come by! And you have to worry if your car will still be there when you come out, in some places!

[@connecticutaggie]

@@Jasmine215100 downtown parking is always complicated as street parking is never enough and downtown property is expensive, parking lots have to charge a lot or be subsidized to afford the property.

[@bigcahuna42366]

Indoor malls aren't dead; they are readjusting to the demand. In most U.S. cities that have decent economies and where crime isn't too high, they normally have at least one or maybe up to two indoor malls in their area that are performing well. The rest in their area are dying because they aren't needed anymore. In my city in the early 90s, we used to have six indoor malls in my area. Two have died in the past 15 years and were eventually demolished, two were combined into one and is currently performing decent, one is in hospice care economically, and the last one is honestly doing very well to this day.

[@Watch-0w1]

The Mall need to evolve to be more of an entertainment hub then endless shopping

[@Angultra]

Entertainment and food hub, that's what I go there for already

[@kyleklmondwa9042]

They need to convert X amount of EMPTY retail space into AFFORDABLE living spaces. The FACT that these mall owners don't already do this just proves how RIGGED this system is to keep everyone paying rent for a property they won't ever own and keep property prices higher than they need to be.

[@rockstar6790]

@@Angultra People will definitely go there. A food court with some restaurants. Even better, revive the arcade scene by adding arcades.

[@optick3554]

​@@rockstar6790 some malls have started this already. Ive seen a few in NY that have pretty large arcades😊

[@smcdonald9991]

There is another factor. Until the late 90s, people had no "online life". They met and did things. Going to the mall even if you had nothing particular to buy was something people did back then but much less nowadays.

[@berlingray8058]

Worked for Sears 18-23 (08-2014) When I quit, the store closed within a year and a half later at the mall I was working at. Sears didn’t want to adapt to the changes of online shopping really

[@Jasmine215100]

I can believe that! I never thought they had much variation in clothing retail, they never seemed to keep up with the latest styles!?!

[@RichardHannay]

I work in a dying mall and it’s pretty sad looking at so many stores closed.

[@TinLeadHammer]

"American need for retail therapy"? Or, as George Carlin put it, buying the stuff you don't need with the money you don't have.

[@kyleklmondwa9042]

To impress people you DON'T like!...

[@Ponchoed]

America has for decades been overretailed... the Sq Ft per person was like 8 times that of Canada or UK. The retail apocalypse was always coming and the rapid growth of online retail made it more imminent. Combine with COVID, WFH, crime, and you have a perfect storm.

[@techpolitics]

@@kyleklmondwa9042 and people that you want to like you even though they probably don't

[@smaugswrath3144]

"Money they don't have on things they don't need"

[@stephaniehale946]

*Essentially, American malls are getting Asian-ized. Malls in many Asian countries, especially South East Asia, are a place for many experiences, from shopping, to eating out, groceries, movies, entertainment, games, sports, fitness, residential apartments on top of the mall, etc.*

[@DubsBrown]

Can confirm. Went during lunar new year and it’s clear

[@asianguy86]

​@@DubsBrown did you went with your boyfriend

[@bchristian85]

That's how it was in the '80s and '90s as well, with the exception of residential apartments which have never been popular in malls in the US. Going to the mall as a kid and playing in the arcade or going ice skating or roller skating, and going to music, toy store, and video game stores all under one roof was like heaven. In the late 2000s, most traditional mall retailers that weren't clothing stores went out of business. That's how we got to where we are.

[@duckmercy11]

​@@bchristian85 I'm thinking the lack of residential was more due to zoning ordinances than lack of popularity.

[@RedAndTheCompany567]

You must be thinking about Strip Malls b/c regular American Shopping Malls have always been that way💯💯💯 I'm not that old but I've been around long enough to know this tho.

[@Xeonerable]

Sure malls may still be alive after their department store limbs are being chopped off, but that doesn't mean they aren't still bleeding out a slow death. Companies stopped being competitive, prices are outrageous, they are killing themselves.

[@matthewgonzalez6320]

I think malls should focus on bringing in new smaller stores from local vendors to try and allow more competition.

[@adamsd6638]

I agree with you

[@gobbletegook]

@chuddslagg The fees are astronomical. Lights, security, etc., as part of a mall are extra besides rent. In my area, KOHLS is walking away from malls and building some stand alones now

[@Fools_Requiem]

Dying malls always have the local vendors. They are just not good enough to draw people in. People like familiar names.

[@freeinghumanitynow]

Mall rents are sky high and owned by wealthy foreigners aiming to tank the American economy. It's economic terr0rism.

[@DubsBrown]

3:27 wait how old is this footage if radioshack is in it?

[@stevk5181]

Likely old cheap stock footage.

[@NoSenatorson]

Every mall needs to have a residential and hotel space. From what I’ve observed, the ones that don’t are usually empty and have very little foot traffic.

[@williamriley5118]

The King of Prussia Mall is a higher-end mall just outside of Philadelphia is huge and it’s still growing!

[@groove-heroine]

As a Philadelphian, I can confirm that the KOP hasn't suffered at all with this downturn.

[@tombaily29]

People are getting poorer while department stores offer Amazon products at higher prices. No wonder malls are struggling.

[@carlosrivera3260]

When Chilean department store Falabella left the Argentinian market, some experts predicted it would be a death sentence to the malls those stores were in. However, most of those malls have not only survived but are thriving in their post-Falabella era. That retail space has been replaced by coffee shops, larger pharmacies, medical services, gyms or more movie theaters. One good example is Córdoba's Nuevocentro Shopping, in Central Argentina.

[@nixonhoover2]

Nobody cares about 3rd world argaytina.

[@davenadave3700]

On Asia country all The Mall is huge and survive because they're all ONE STOP SERVICE, people don't have to drive and go difference places to done all things ... in The Mall they include everything you can imagine. they all included ---> multiple Bank + Super Market / Hyper market + Theater + Restaurants + cloths + fun park + Clinics (Skin clinic, Spa etc) + etc.

[@RedAndTheCompany567]

Ok, American Malls been that way, at least the Malls I've been too. Asia copied off of our mall structure.

[@davenadave3700]

@@RedAndTheCompany567 YES copied and make it better in every way,, so much variety. even Hospital in Asia it's one stop service, Faster service with more care. Cheaper cost its a plus..... i feel sad cause i love Nordstrom but i need more service from them, however ! ill still support offline market and our economy

[@hasmeenc.4739]

@@RedAndTheCompany567where? Most “malls” that have everything..they do not have it inside one building! They have surrounding buildings, some with large parking spaces and between highways that you cannot walk to. I live in jersey city and we have a mall, banks and supermarkets are close by(with very short walking distance because not everyone uses their car, we rely more on public transport and walking)but again not inside the same building. Back in my country the malls do have supermarkets in the basement, as stores like Home Depot and car dealers, the rest of the floors are for clothing, banks, doctors, cinema and restaurants, all inside one building,

[@UeharaKeitaro上原恵太郎]

@@RedAndTheCompany567 No, Asian malls are walking distance to train and large bus stations. The condo apartments in Asia are designed the same way. While in America you have to drive and park. America is not convenient at all, it's made for Capitalists to exploit the working class.

[@ahadmrauf]

5:33 No way do 40% people visit a mall every two weeks, right? Unless the mall happens to be where you get your groceries, I guess.

[@Aye_Nyne]

How about we build mixed-use walkable neighborhoods again where residential and commercial spaces can co-exist rather than continuing to build these tacky enclosures of consumerism surrounded by a parking moat?

[@duckmercy11]

Hahaha ikr

[@GDUBLU_Fan]

That’s seems genius

[@UeharaKeitaro上原恵太郎]

It's like that in Asia, the mall is integrated to stations.

[@Mart9]

My local Mall still has Sears, JCPenney and Macy’s opened

[@RayLabs]

I can say I have not been to a Mall in over 10 years, and don't miss it.

[@jeg4626]

Great video. Learned a lot. Nice job narrating too

[@oluseyialege]

I like being able to try on my clothes before buying but malls are still on the decline for the most part.

[@masonedwards]

I don’t understand why American malls haven’t tried what’s worked well in other countries. Yes, I get that America is different to other countries, but maybe, just maybe, other countries do it better. Many successful Australian malls have supermarkets (grocery stores) in them, as well as what you call “big box stores” (Kmart, Target, Big W) as anchors. Our malls also have stores like JB-Hifi, which would be equivalent to Best Buy. Our malls are essentially one-stop-destinations, with everything you could possibly want, including food courts, restaurants, fashion, beauty, high-end brands, supermarkets/grocery stores, and mainstream big box stores, etc. Some of the bigger malls have department stores like Myer or David Jones, which are similar to Macy’s, Nordstrom, etc, but not all malls have those types of department stores.

[@wplants9793]

The problem with that is the way American malls are the Peking is so far away that people don’t run to the car to drop off their bags. If you go to the grocery store you have to carry your bags of what you got from the mall - books, clothes, shoes whatever - while you grocery shop. Also the malls are in the suburbs so then you’d have to drive home for about 30 mins with your groceries some of which may be refrigerated, but in the city where I live a grocery store is a 10 minute walk away

[@masonedwards]

@@wplants9793 malls are in suburbs here as well. And our weather is warmer than the US. Insulated shopping bags help with refrigerated foods, but at the same time, so does a bit of planning. Use a shopping cart 🛒 to carry your items around the mall, and shopping for items such as clothing or homewares first (if you need those), before going for food items. It’s common sense, really.

[@NotaPizzaGRL]

@@masonedwards For that to work security would have to allow people to do that. Now try keeping track of a shopping cart full of stuff while also looking after a stroller. Or a wheelchair. Suburban American malls have a lot of the stores you are talking about but they are spread around and separated by miles of parking unless if they're designed as open-air malls. Typically it's a long walk between store to store if it's not already in the mall itself. Now if these malls were designed to be walkable and not for cars then your idea would work fine.

[@UeharaKeitaro上原恵太郎]

Australian malls are more Asian designed.

[@BigJoe5.0]

The mall near me is a ghost town every time I go in it. The only thing keeping it alive is golds gym, jcpenney and Macy's I feel like.

[@khalee95]

US malls need to become more entertainment centric. People who come for the entertainment will not only enjoy the experience, but stay awhile longer to shop.

[@EcomCarl]

It's fascinating to see how malls are adapting to the changing retail landscape, especially with the shift toward experiential models. This evolution highlights the importance of staying agile and responsive to consumer preferences. 🛍

[@xonious9031]

You're kidding yourself... No one is adapting... There are wealthy investors who are taking this opportunity to take out loans on projects they know won't work... Simply Google Metro Center Arizona if you want to get the true story on the ground about what is happening with malls

[@EcomCarl]

@luke5100 cheers man!

[@speedracer2please]

A lot of the footage is from the American Dream Mall, which I do love to visit more than most malls. I don't know if I spend much there, though, it's just nice to walk around. It cost a fortune to make, though, I hope the budget adds up! In American Dream's case, transportation is the biggest factor keeping me from going back more often. I either have to drive and pay a ton for parking, or take a decrepit bus for almost an hour, when I could just walk down to my town's main street or hop on a ferry to Manhattan.

[@sew_gal7340]

It is so underwhelming, i live an hour away and visited the dream mall once when i was in nyc...it didnt live up to the hype at all...i know of several malls in my town that are much funner to roam around. The mall is big though but lots of empty spaces

[@Watch-0w1]

Meadowland ? Parking just 5$

[@alex_spartan1805]

​@@Watch-0w1 I live near two of the best malls (Short Hills/Willowbrook Malls) that don't charge anything for parking. I, too, enjoy American Dream, but the parking and driving isn't as easy when comparing other choices.

[@Watch-0w1]

@@alex_spartan1805 dude me too. What city u from? But American dream is bigger and got more attractions

[@davidfrischknecht8261]

I don't know why NJ Transit doesn't make the Meadowlands line a full-time line to give people a better way to get to American Dream.

[@frankm.2828]

Pretty soon you may rediscover a Sears at your local mall! A whole new side of Sears.

[@evanscott1749]

Sears comeback baby lesssgoooooooooo

[@bchristian85]

Come see the ZOMBIE side of Sears.

[@Quiblets]

I live in Puerto Rico. We have the biggest mall in the Caribbean; Plaza Las Americas Mall. That place is always jammed packed. If I have to go to Macys, I have to go during the week. During the weekend, is pure chaos. Zennial mall rats are a thing.

Ayer en La Terraza, no habían mesas disponibles.

[@reggiefurlow1]

One side of your polo shirt from Marshall's stitching be off though 😂😂

[@Fr00stee]

There's literally nothing interesting about classic department stores like macys, jcpenny, etc. So why should someone go there?

[@Ponchoed]

I've been saying this too. The contemporary American department store is a joke. I went in El Palacio del Hierro in Mexico City and was blown away, it's light years better than any department store in the US both in luxury and range of items sold.

[@yostevedotcom]

I bought curtains there. Also my cheap suit. Bought Champion clothes for nephews

[@ChrisChan829]

They mention dollar stores taking their customers her family dollar and another one just declared bankruptcy

[@alvinchee]

Other than department stores, what’s your take on food court which seems have vacancies and following the same trend like the department stores

[@MrMorefin]

I wouldn’t say it survived, its still slowly going away. Yes there are a small percentage of malls in the US that are doing very well but the majority of malls are either closing or closed, even before the pandemic.

[@SkankHuntForty2]

Bring back Montgomery Ward!

[@cassiemontgomery45]

I remember them very well! I used to get asked if I was related to one of the owners as a kid! My maiden name is Montgomery....

[@gxguy2906]

I love going shopping with my wife but I hate that there is no seating spot at all. One of the malls near us remodeled everything and added seating spots, which became a huge success. They are always full every weekend.

[@MrBeatboxmasta]

Grocery stores + good restaurants + fun physical activities and you'll have a mall that will never go out of business.

[@tgs6027]

Target, Marshalls & TJ Maxx 👍 Macy's hell no it's been yrs since I went to a regular mall... inflation is out of control...

[@FM-et3ck]

Security is also a major factor in declining footprint. Many families don't feel safe going to the malls anymore.

[@GDUBLU_Fan]

You mean schizophrenic families

[@RaquelFoster]

This sure is a low-quality meandering piece. 2:02 They couldn't get a few seconds of audio better than that?

[@amazon4716]

The problem with the anchor department stores is that they charged too much While stores lime forever 21, etc. Have stylish products for way less.

[@Bobbysworld22]

You have to understand how most humans are. We’re social beings. Turning a mall from a shopping experience to a destination is key in 2024. Adding a things that will entice the “shopping experience” ie: unique cinemas like 4D experiences, amusement parks, golf simulators, unique restaurant experience within the mall. The mall is now a destination for entertainment not just shopping. Malls will have to adapt in order to keep their doors open.

[@jordankendall86]

I agree that if the malls can transform into a better experience so that people come for not only shopping, then that would be best. But at some point, when ever that transformation is complete, we may not call it a mall anymore. This may be especially true if residential, office, and hotel is blended into the property as was suggested in the video. Then it becomes a mix-use property that is very distinct from any other. I have seen this in newer out-door shopping centers where they mix in residential, office, and retail. I believe that is the direction they have to go because they are shooting for a high end life style where you can "live and play" as was also suggested in the video.

[@duckmercy11]

Mixed use was the original idea. Malls weren't originally intended to be closed off shopping centers.

[@TheNewgreatlife]

Some malls like Riverchase Galleria near Birmingham, Alabama have been like that since the beginning. It opened in 1986 and has always had office space and a hotel attached.

[@suspiciousafternoon]

retail therapy is the dumbest thing I've ever heard

[@ashleyhernandez2583]

It's a thing. Not a healthy outlet bc it's unnecessary spending BUT trust me after a bad day of working buying a cute bag or dress helps. Like I said it's not a good thing but it does help some of us

[@RedAndTheCompany567]

Why? I like products and I love to buy things too when I need. Plus it helps the economy when you put money in it.

[@VoidVerification]

In Germany, the anchor store positions are usually taken up by large electronics stores and/or big supermarkets.

[@Sarchein]

the death of the american mall is just in line with where the middle class has died which is much of rural middle america

[@mattstiles-ok8yz]

In my option non-luxury malls of the 70's and 80's will continue to close throughout the united states giving way to either mini strip malls or more residential housing much like were all seeing with office buildings throughout the country.

[@matthewstone5576]

RadioShack at 3:27…wonder when they shot that footage?

[@TheNewgreatlife]

I was thinking the same thing, also the Payless in next to it! There was also a clip with a New York & Company. All of those brands are defunct (although some Radio Shacks still exist as franchises but they are very very rare)

[@angelachanellehuang5663]

Malls are a hang out spot

[@steelcitysportsfan1436]

Jcpenney carries big and tall sizes that alot of stores don't have.

[@PASH3227]

JCPenny also has "slim" sized pants for boys. It was THE PLACE to get my school uniforms as a child. The last decade of management at JCPenney is so infuriating!

[@ned_interrobang]

i grew up in the 80s and 90s and still never shopped jc penny's, sears, or macys. i dont feel bad for them

[@steliopapadopoulos4887]

Thank women for keeping malls alive

[@jimv77]

I am guessing most guys are like me: Only go to a mall for shoes or a suit or certain clothes. Things I need asap or try on before buying. I go in, buy, and leave immediately. Only as a teen you go to the mall to hangout.....maybe....even that is online now.

[@reckonerwheel5336]

They're the ones shopping for their husbands and kids, not just themselves, so yeah.

[@CP-es4lm]

I go to tractor supply to pick up work clothes. Jeans, work shirt and work boots, etc. if I need a suit I go to a local taylor. Neither are in a mall. Anything else a mall has can be ordered online.

[@MuscleMeetsMind]

Our JC Penney’s is now a first Baptist church, Macy’s is now a division of the local college, and Sears turned into a World Gym

[@cocoaorange1]

Our Sears is DeVry Institute now.

[@hungson215]

Shopping malls are still thriving in high income populations. The dead of shopping malls just mean people are poorer and have to find cheaper deals online or find cheaper brands. Merchandise theft is also a reason

[@robertoburgos2940]

Most of Democrat control cities.

[@MrMastrsushi]

Or people who are smarter shoppers

[@hungson215]

@MrMastrsushi poorer does not mean you get smarter. It just means you're more budget conscious. Top brands don't offer their products on sites like Amazon, eBay,.. unless you buy directly from them or their partners' sites. Top brands you find at discounted stores like Marshall or outlet mall do not have the same quality as you find at the department stores

[@MrMastrsushi]

@@hungson215 I never once said poorer makes you smarter. I’m simply saying that not everyone who chooses to shop at cheaper stores is poor. As for your Marshall’s comment, you’re free to hold that opinion. I’ve found all sorts of top brand stuff of the same quality. I can afford to shop at department stores but rarely I do because the "hottest" stuff doesn't mean much to me and a lot of other people. The people have voted with their wallets, we don't want overpriced crap for daily attire.

[@keithalarie8255]

The Palisades Center is not a luxury mall. That mall is mostly empty!

[@123RADIOactive]

It would really help if malls went with this route: - turning empty spaces that nobody is renting into livable space. Like perhaps anchor stores that left, that space could be used for this. - Turn it into an entertainment spots, along with a more unique selection of food instead of the same old things. - It would also help if they invest in security systems where in case if pieces of garbage that storms into stores and does riot looting, they’d have a higher chance of being pinned down and detained. It would also help if the US government (let alone, many of the states) isn’t such a fluffy pillow country and instead, punish the looters with at least 10 years of minimum sentence + they’re forced into slave labour where all the pay will go directly back into the stores they had affected.

[@kevinbarry71]

A few malls have survived. There were, and still are, far too many in the United States. Adding casinos? Nothing shows desperation than that

[@rtperrett]

on 3:19 what store is this?

[@Rebecca-zr3lu]

God, thank you for forgiveness of the things that we purchased but shouldn’t have. Thank you for forgiveness of things done at malls, thank you for forgiveness of debt in Jesus name. Amen 🙏

[@romeldionisio3149]

Here in the Philippines Major mall chains like SM, Robinsons Malls and Ayala malls are dominating, when you visit our country youll be overwhelmed how our malls reign supreme.

[@Aggie4life77]

Here is the thing. Indoor malls thrived in the 80’s and the 90’s. Why? People didn’t have much else to do especially during the day on the weekends. There was no internet! Then there was the Arcade. The internet really changed things. People meeting and chatting online. I remember going to the mall in the 80’s and 90’s just to walk around, people watch. People do that much less now.

[@Sneaker_Fox]

It’s funny that they mention US based malls but they decided at 1:05 to use the inside of Torontos Downtown Eaton Centre mall lol 😂 which is based in Canada.

[@terrorem6886]

Bro they didn't survive what is this homie smoking on.

[@moereese5254]

They survived?

[@MrMastrsushi]

What’s left of them

[@kutter_ttl6786]

It's a market correction. There was too many so lots of them died, but the bigger ones that survived and have been able to adapt are thriving.

[@GDUBLU_Fan]

I visited El Paso and they managed to have a Sears anchor

[@skyscraperfan]

The US need more malls in city centers and not next to the highway exchange. That is something the US can learn from Asia and Europe: Build malls where people already are!

[@Ponchoed]

I'm with you but those are the malls doing the worst now. SF Shopping Centre was one of the top performing malls in the 2010s and now has lost most of its anchors and inline stores. City centers have been hit the hardest by looting and shoplifting along with fewer customers from WFH.

[@skyscraperfan]

@@Ponchoed Looting also seems to be a very American problem. I was really surprised that the crime in San Francisco has surged so much in the last few years. It is one of the richest cities in the US. You must earn a lot of money to afford to live there. So I thought there must be no crime at all, as all poor people have left the city. I would expect a lot of crime in Detroit, but not in San Francisco. A city that rich can afford a cop at every corner.

[@Ponchoed]

@@skyscraperfan Whats remarkable is how bad crime has gotten. It wasn't much of a thing in the 2010s. Plus big retail stores were aggressively expanding in Urban America with urban format stores. That's all gone now, their stores are closing or hanging on with huge security and loss prevention teams. Its worth noting that while San Francisco is bad, it is actually good compared to its neighbor across the bay... Oakland.

[@UserName-ts3sp]

my city tried that. it closed down in the late 2000s

[@PASH3227]

Problem is no one in the US lives in their city center. It's mostly just a bunch of offices. Here in LA people only visit the downtown for government jobs and services or a few concerts and sporting events. So a mall in the suburbs is a shorter walk or drive for more than in Downtown.

[@KerrijaGryphon]

A mall near me has added a bunch of new clinics and doctors offices in it.

[@CyborgZeta]

Most people I know, myself included, go to the mall just for the food court.

[@gobbletegook]

Macy's really wasn't an anchor store in many of the malls until it bought out the competition...or around 2006 when they took over the stores like Marshall Fields, Bullocks, and those part of Federated brands

[@TheNewgreatlife]

In most parts of the country that was the case. In places like South Florida, Metro Atlanta, California, and the New York area, they've anchored malls since the 80s and earlier in some cases.

[@TheNewgreatlife]

@larrys4618 Atlanta also had Davison’s which were all turned into Macy’s in 1986, so Atlanta has had a taste of Macy’s since the 80s. When Federated decided to eliminate all of the regional nameplates in 2003, most of the former Davison’s and current Macy’s stores closed except at Lenox Square and Perimeter Mall which became Bloomingdale’s due to being upscale malls. Also Northlake Mall, which never had both Davison’s and Rich’s like most 1970s and 1980s malls in Atlanta, so their Davison’s turned Macy’s store became Rich’s in 1998, then Rich’s-Macy’s in 2003, and just Macy’s in 2005. It is the last Macy’s store to still be operating in an old Davison’s since the Macon Mall store closed in 2020.

[@TheNewgreatlife]

@larrys4618 Atlanta also had Davison's which became Macy's in 1986, so Atlanta has been used to Macy's since the 80s. When Federated decided to eliminate regional banners altogether, most of those stores that were former Davison's/ then-current Macy's stores closed, and Macy's took over the Rich's anchor spots around Atlanta. The only exceptions were at Lenox Square and Perimeter Mall where the Macy's became Bloomingdale's due to being in upscale malls. Northlake Mall only ever had Davison's, so it became Macy's in 1986, a Rich's in 1998, Rich's-Macy's in 2003, and then back to Macy's in 2005. Town Center at Cobb had an original Macy's as the mall opened in 86, right as all Davison's stores around Atlanta were becoming Macy's. It's currently a hybrid Macy's Men's, Furniture, and Clearance store, while the main Macy's is in the former Rich's. Those are the last Davison's stores still being used by Macy's Inc.

[@TheNewgreatlife]

@larrys4618 Atlanta also had Davison's which became Macy's in 1986, so Atlanta has been used to Macy's since the 80s. When Federated decided to eliminate regional banners altogether, most of those stores that were former Davison's/ then-current Macy's stores closed, and Macy's took over the Rich's anchor spots around Atlanta.

[@MrCoffeeNerves]

Most malls can survive if they start to fulfill local/regional needs like adding healthcare options, a spa, a gym, multiple food options and new entertainment options

[@romeldionisio3149]

As of the moment major retailers like SM SUPERMALLS ROBINSONS MALLS & AYALA MALLS are shifting towards redevelopment into integrated malls with condominiums, business office towers , hotels addressing the needs of their prospect area,

[@RyanR2D2]

Mall of America and other malls in northern regions also thrive because of the frigid winters and sweltering summers they have. That definitely lures people to do things indoors like shop, dine, and watch movies.

[@mackenziegray2090]

My local mall just got a casino in one of the "anchor" section. So bring a crowd of people to encourage shopping.

[@teng029]

7:05 some normalized levels of pricing? where?

[@mikesgmail896]

Spoiler alert: most died long ago

[@mayurireddy8196]

Amazing malls and departmental store

[@OS1540]

Lets not forget the area where a mall is located. Malls exposed to high crime are more likely to bow out versus the ones in good upper class communities.

[@unconventionalideas5683]

Crime usually is not why malls close. It's more often the fact that more and more people find driving to be more and more of a headache and less of something they enjoy, so malls that don't have something really worth it and are also really heavily based on driving, especially if many people have to drive very far, are struggling more than ones that have unique stores and are convenient to access.

[@vasilikonstan]

3:28 Who edited this video? Radioshack and Payless ShoeSource went out of business years ago. This clip looks so old😆😆😆

[@lewis7315]

The insane outrageous prices of Macys type stores are just killing them. That is why big box stores are taking over. Local malls that used to have Sears-type stores now have lots of fast food outlets. One local former Sears building in a local mall has been sublet for several other uses. The downtown San Diego mall that failed is now renovated into a corporate office building.

[@nfapeng187]

I loved going to the mall! I dont go much anymore cause I cant afford it. Having children and all that kind of normal stuff. But I really enjoyed going for all the years I did.

[@Ponchoed]

There's also no new shiny object in retail that draws people. Normally there's some new hot shop every shopping area is trying to get and whoever lands it gets the customers. 15 years ago it was one of the first Apple stores. Additionally there's barely any book and music stores anymore, they were always one of several key stores in making a shopping trip into day trip shopping experience... get lost in a bookstore for a few hours.

[@NotaPizzaGRL]

Bookstores work when they actually want people to browse and read in them. When they remove seating, fire half of their staff (who knew A LOT about books), and constantly stalk people who are there to relax they fail. Then there are the ones which are geared towards readers who then die out because they charge higher prices than online. Unless if it's a unique bookstore, I just use the library these days. Their selection is wide and you can sit in peace for hours and read.

[@Brandee.]

The internet has taken over..lower overhead and business model is efficient..

[@austinhernandez2716]

How about making cities more walkable with lots of small local vendors you can walk by, so like a public outdoor mall like in the old day

[@bobsthea]

when malls is further away from where peoples live, work and school

[@1_Fish.2_Fish.Red_Fish.]

They got replaced with strange small business. Many resemble an indoor glee market. The food courts are abandoned or bogus. I’m almost certain most of these operations are money laundering businesses haha. It’s sad.

[@xonious9031]

The last step before a mall closes its doors as a little shops that sell silk flowers the ones that you're talking about

[@ChiefCedricJohnson]

Ezekiel 3:19 Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.

[@jtstacey83]

The bifurcation does more to show the state of the American middle class than anything.

[@xonious9031]

Every aspect of this story is bull crap do not buy into it

[@Fools_Requiem]

I like malls because they allow me to try on clothes from many different vendors in one place. Buying clothes online just doesn't have the same feeling.

[@dongkim9610]

2 words: they didn't

[@toplaycool21]

I think the whole "shop till you drop" is no longer a thing. You have to build attractions, become a destination. Think Nickelodeon Universe, Crayola Experience, trampoline parks, movie theaters, Hershey's Chocolate world etc. Putting experience-oriented places in malls will ensure that the mall will survive.

[@xonious9031]

That is a dubious prospect... They're not going to retrofit malls as amusement parks that is not going to work

[@mw6563]

As a former 80’s mall rat I can assure you, today’s malls are little like they used to be. High end malls are decent but don’t attract younger shoppers that can actually afford anything in them. Typical malls are now partially filled with no name stores selling cheap junk. Very sad.

[@xonious9031]

Paradise Valley Arizona is one of the wealthiest cities in America... Recently paradise Valley Mall closed... This story is bull crap The malls are closing even the wealthy ones

[@celeste_xo]

Not my problem

[@sfdko3291]

It's funny. It wasn't the malls that were failing. It was the department stores that were dying. The mall itself is nothing more than a storefront. When businesses fail, we don't say the entire block failed. We need to apply the same logic to the mall.

[@JollyRogerLaw]

I hate trying clothes at the stores. I prefer to make up my mind at home. I also consider that I wouldn't know for sure that i have full privacy while changing clothes at the store's dressing rooms. Regarding the returns: it used to be return with receipt within 30 days wouldn't require ID. Last time i made a return to a Marshall's they asked for my ID with a receipt. Most recently, they didn't manually imput the info, but they just swiped the magnetic strip & handed it back to me. The only time i ever had previously had my ID swiped was to enter a English theme bar with a friend. I said "wow, you do that now?' 'You all didn't have that when i had your job."

[@doujinflip]

Department stores aren’t as modular as the larger mall, as unprofitable departments don’t just shut down like struggling independent shops would. There’s not really a reason for especially younger consumers to wander around a department store when ecommerce on mobile devices grants access to even larger selection of products or directions to niche store locations.

[@iamthebiggs252]

Wait, where's that Radio Shack located?

[@musiclist4792]

They need to move toward the full-service upscale department store feel like when you went to a department store back in the 1960s and then rely on online influencers to make going there and having these experiences trendy.

[@goldencheesesteak4890]

They definitely learn from Asia. In Asia, malls are thriving community centers. Banks, hotels, apartments, restaurants&cafes, grocery stores, specialty stores, bakeries, barbershop, hair salons, arcade center, cinemas, gyms, beauty&skincare clinics, health clinics or some medical care even churches can be found in giant malls 😂! The malls also create many special events to draw more people in, this one time they even create basketball matches between highschoolers inside the mall, for some fun competitions. Or they create events for kindergartens to show off their dancing and drama students. So they don't depend on 1 giant store to keep one mall alive. People can even go to mall and simply walk around without buying anything.

[@UmmYeahOk]

The problem is they kept building malls just miles down the road from other malls. You can only have so many Macys Sears and JCP! What then happens is you end up having people who will drive a few more miles down the highway to the nice new mall, hurting sales of older malls and their stores. Even if these “nice new malls” are a now quarter of a century old, people STILL go to them, and they are STILL busy even on a weekday. So what happens? The department stores leave and then open up individual stand alone stores at glorified strip malls within suburbia. Their hope is that consumers will seriously drive to just their one individual store because it’s closer, rather than further out to a mall who’s anchors are ONLY entertainment based.

[@xonious9031]

And add to that Amazon and covid and you have more or less a perfect storm

[@Chicagoguy1984]

One variable is Dallas ft Worth swear almost every màll there is slammed busy

[@GDUBLU_Fan]

Lots of malls closed in Dallas because there was too much competition! Ridgar Mall, Valley View, The Vista, red bird mall are dead!

[@chrisaguilera1564]

If it hadn't been for the credit card, retail therapy wouldn't be a thing and neither would the mall.