Why Are Malls Turning Into Ghost Towns?

[@mytruecrimelibrary]

I like shopping in person, especially for clothes and gifts for loved ones.

[@RandalWilliams-rm6hf]

It's a shame that malls aren't popular and everyone just wants to shop online😢

[@NoOneHere2Day]

I too enjoy it and you get to socialize. I actually met 2 of my husbands at the mall.

[@mytruecrimelibrary]

@@RandalWilliams-rm6hf the one in my town is doing pretty good still, there aren't that many empty storefronts.

[@User_92020]

I get everything from Amazon. Everything from pen, ice cream, TV. 🖊 🍦 📺

[@_Just_Another_Guy]

One advantage of shopping in person is you can determine the quality of the product you're buying instead of looking at a picture. Especially for clothes. Some clothes delivery comes with hidden damages or defects (holes, loose seams, unfinished threads, etc.) Plus with buying clothes in-person, you can often try it on physically (unless it's in a package or underwear).

[@Cobalt3351]

You can thank Amazon and COVID for this.

[@DuraStop]

and china

[@joet7136]

Malls were dying long before covid but yeah, the internet pretty much made malls vulnerable.

[@MikeG82]

my mall closed because Jamal and Tyrone kept causing trouble, so everybody else stopped going

[@ctaylor8003]

@@MikeG82 Nobody cares about your furry alter egos

[@yuvalhezkiya8934]

@@MikeG82

[@jakebluethunder]

It's really sad to see this especially since malls were the place to be back in the day. You could shop, eat and socialize all under one roof. E-commerce really changed the shopping landscape and COVID made it permanent.

[@retroguy9494]

Yea but that was back in the 80's and 90's.

[@Pboros-mz3rc]

The internet is ruining everything

[@TrinhNguyen-sh4fj]

People still do but sadly not as much. I have a feeling that people will as the internet and online shopping gets boring and has its limitations too.

[@michaelwilliams4410]

Malls aren't the same anymore! During my younger years, I really enjoyed going to the mall to buy clothes, grab a bite to eat, & go to the movies! Plus, I absolutely enjoyed visiting the bookstores & record stores!

[@JustRememberWhoYoureWorkingFor]

Yeah I miss the 1990's so much 😢

[@EccentricFollowedByMen]

​@@JustRememberWhoYoureWorkingForYeah. The 90s were a much better time, especially to cold approach, but it's getting tough to do that nowadays, since everybody is so vary of everything and scared to socialize.

[@JustRememberWhoYoureWorkingFor]

@@EccentricFollowedByMen yeah and the climate agenda is killing everything too

[@KevinRichards-rk3gp]

The internet is what killed most of the malls because nowadays, most people shop online instead of going out to malls. Not to forget Amazon became popular too.

[@tarabooartarmy3654]

It was the 80s for me, but it’s not the same anymore. So many people have bad attitudes these days. It’s not fun anymore.

[@DCampusano1]

It’s actually quite sad to see what's happened to malls across the country. Malls used to be such vibrant and bustling places where people would gather, shop and socialize.

[@hphan7549]

Now scared shtlss everytime going to a mall, fkg looking around going away and back to the car 🥴 fkg sweaty nervous 🙏🙏🙏 Fkg enough said 🥹🙏🙏🙏

[@guyfawkesuThe1]

JC Penny's is still in business because a big mall owner wants to keep traffic in their malls! Otherwise, JC Penny's would have went out of business several years ago!

[@dollyl5596]

In my country they’re still packing with people, reason for that is because of the aircon😂

[@58twright]

regular malls were big during the 80s, 90s & early 2000s now its plazas or online shopping

[@sergiocable]

Still does in my town, I’m glad we aren’t victims of cyber world completely.

[@dannigro8794]

Ironically, even back to the future couldn’t of predicted, that malls would be obsolete

[@marleyboy7732]

You can also thank the owner of the mall. Lots of retailers say these owners really jack up the prices for rent. Its a shame. Im an 80s kid and this was the best way to socialize & get out of the house. Miss those days.

[@JustRememberWhoYoureWorkingFor]

Yeah I was born in the 80's too and I'm missing the 90's so much. Tbh I'm not American and have never been to the US but one of the things that used to make me wish to visit the US as a tourist was precisely your immense malls.

[@TrinhNguyen-sh4fj]

Me too and I hope malls make a comeback and malls should be more than just shopping. It is just great to get out and socialize.

[@Methequeen]

This

[@akunmapkah586]

​@@TrinhNguyen-sh4fjonly way mall came back is if all online shop banned/die/ban e money

[@pppaaattt4671]

The mall near me has little to no customers. The elevators aren’t even working anymore. 😮😮😮 I go to walk some times, sad.

[@Amber417]

I hope all malls don’t close down. I love going to the mall 😢

[@SonyEnthusiast]

Me too

[@TRUESHADOWD]

Not enough apparently 😂

[@FDR-ww6xz]

Teenager

[@User_92020]

Go more often 😆

[@valestivale4711]

​@@FDR-ww6xzgay old man

[@RAMIR3Z0]

Same reason why rental places like videos stores dont exist anymore, and why people hardly go to movie theaters. Cause social media ruined everything.

[@retroguy9494]

Believe it or not, there were NO video stores in the malls near me. Those were located in 'strip malls' back in the day. I don't understand why people don't go to the movie theaters anymore though (apart from the ridiculous price). Is streaming on your computer or home television REALLY as good as the big screen and awesome sound system in the theaters?

[@Deviax28]

​@retroguy9494 No its not but can be close to it. But, they have to make movies people actually want to see

[@spidermanlover475]

As a teenager, I miss the days my mom used to take me to the mall when I was little. Now the one we always used to go to is dead pretty much. Barely any stores plus crime so hardly anyone goes there anymore.

[@icespeaker81]

We were robbed

[@Randomdude1979]

​@@icespeaker81robbed of time

[@joeisthecat8278]

I'd say the same. Thankfully this one mall I go to is still thriving, I'm unsure how long but I hope it stays like this for at least the rest of my life

[@romancetips365]

Yeah I got robbed too last time I went to the mall. Which is why I stopped going. Sad too because I really used to love it. Also I do think they'd get more customers if they had mobility scooters. My mom stopped going because she can't walk that much with her knee and back problems and she needs a scooter to get around in big shops.

[@bobby1970]

Yeah, I really miss the good old days. A lot of great memories of when I was a teenager. I was only 16 in 1986.

[@RudieObias]

Malls have been dying for more than 15 years now. More people shop online or go to Walmart or Target. This is nothing new

[@lucasread1743]

Exactly!

[@XandieFireman]

Only in the US

[@KatieHuni]

Fax, I went to a mall before and it wasn’t packed at all, there was some people, but the mall was still not packed

[@JustRememberWhoYoureWorkingFor]

​@@XandieFireman no, in Europe this is happening too 😢

[@easfancalifornia1787]

My local mall has target in Glendale so at least it’s still busy for now

[@carlos_marcello]

Its such a shame the malls arent what they use to be. Every holiday season i would just go to the mall with my parents and family then as I grew older i went with friends or a gf and just walk around while holiday music was playing. Sales were everywhere and people were so much nicer. No stress, no worries, just having a good time and enjoying life. What i wouldn't give to go back to those days.😢

[@davidjym]

yes, I don't care what anyone says, the good old days were better !!! now everyone just stays at home and don't socialize anymore :(

[@tomboyjessie1352]

​@@davidjymNot everyone's like that, I still see people going to malls and socializing.

[@davidjym]

@@tomboyjessie1352 true, but the percentage is shifting

[@retroguy9494]

Wasn't it awesome? I remember that back in the 80's and 90's.

[@jimbehr5685]

In the late 80', early 90's, Thursday and Friday evening, all day Saturday. The mall was thee place to hang out. Hanging out with friends, people watching, trying to chat up girls. Good times.

[@modickens1272]

And beating the meat to fredericks of Hollywood catalogs and JC penny swimsuit section, and star search spokesmodels

[@retroguy9494]

How well I remember.................

[@duckmercy11]

Two keys to making malls successful in 2024: 1) services/experiences over retail (more bowling alleys, bars and hair salons, less expensive stores) and 2) high-density housing MUST be developed on-site (built-in customers). The latter is how it works overseas in places like Hong Kong.

[@leonardoluc6362]

Amsterdam shopping is hot but no malls, little shops, family shops, diversity shops in every street, hardly any cars. No Walmarts or Costcos to drive to, just walk, take your bicycle or public transport the best in the World. Ever been to the 9 streets in Amsterdam this is the most fun you ever have. Than one big store in City center called the Bijenkorf omg every high end brand is for sale, across the Royal Palace, location, location. + a top location the P.C. Hooftstraat only Worlds top brands, again no parking to speak of but booming.

[@michaelpowell9164]

Nope The answer is keep the riff raff out. But thats racist! Still the truth.

[@yosutzuhruoj]

@@leonardoluc6362 Thanks bro, you made me not want to go to NL.

[@bettagems9209]

@@leonardoluc6362 yes I remenber when I lived in Germany it's like that, very pleasant & fun & safe. Miss that.

[@DUCKY2018]

Id 100% live in a apartment connected to a mall

[@juanmorales5123]

What they need to do is add popular stores young people frequently shop at. Nobody will order online to wait a few days to get their items when they can drive to the nearest mall and pick up the same item in 15 minutes. But the thing is these people don’t adapt to change and don’t competitively compete against online shopping.

[@davidjym]

young people don't buy anything

[@TrinhNguyen-sh4fj]

Or people can order online and pick up at the mall.

[@TrinhNguyen-sh4fj]

@@davidjymIt depends as many young people buy clothes and other stuff.

[@davidjym]

@@TrinhNguyen-sh4fj all you need is a smartphone nowadays ...

[@TrinhNguyen-sh4fj]

@@davidjymYes, but if you want to socialize and all in person, the smartphone can’t help you.

[@jsoe81657]

It depends on the location as well. The Puente Hills mall, which was shown in the clip, is competing against nearby malls such as Westfield Santa Anita and West Covina. The Santa Anita one recently opened a 99 Ranch Market and is packed on the weekends.

[@musk-eteer9898]

i love santa anita mall

[@8andj]

Thanks

[@tuandang2947]

Competing? It's been dead for over two decades 💀

[@hernandez15man]

Ya I just went there lol

[@boomscholock]

Sawgrass Mills in Ft Lauderdale near where I live is also supremely packed, it’s also malls that offer a lot more than just clothing

[@LEVELGAZANOW]

The mall close to my home is packed, all the time. However, the owners were smart because they built an entire outdoor area of restaurants, theater, entertainment and a astroturf “grassy” area for families to play or watch an outdoor movie (free) on the big screen. Attached to the old mall, it has truly brought the crowds as the place to be reminiscent of the 80’s.

[@lyetaherb4703]

NICE‼️😁😁😁

[@alisiam7977]

Baybrook mall ?

[@nameprivate2194]

Sounds like I wish I lived near you, and that, yes.

[@TrinhNguyen-sh4fj]

That is great and how it should be. The big mall in our area is indoors but has a lot of stores, a big food court and some nice entertainment places too so it attracts many people to come to not only shop, but to get entertained and have a nice meal.

[@delq]

Zombie apocalypse: ❌️ Backrooms: ✅️

[@hamsammich2628]

Bro is going to need to get the squad down there and start searching for any noclips

[@jasonp364]

The Oldest View: Kane Pixels

[@battleonfan1]

Cringe

[@Hikikomori_Gaming]

going outside is dangerous. too many shootings and theft. I stay in my apartment forever.

[@vegangainsfather2877]

Sounds like a fun life you have

[@Rain-sv8eh]

You must be real fun at parties

[@xerilaun]

username checks out

[@amiaw12]

Aren't ya lonely

[@defendingthefaith.7889]

You can’t live in fear.

[@yashny]

Malls back then were places to spend time with friends. We enjoy walking around talking and checking things out together although we don't buy much

[@KevinRichards-rk3gp]

Good times. Those were the days😎

[@yashny]

@@KevinRichards-rk3gp yes.. good old days 🙂

[@usercs_2682]

Today people can spend their whole day on a phone. The world is different back then

[@skycloud4802]

Arcades and cinemas gone.

[@KevinRichards-rk3gp]

@@skycloud4802 yep Xboxes, PSs, & games on phones killed the arcades just like Netflix & Redbox killed the video stores.

[@elijahtorres2688]

I missed the days where the mall was THE place to go with family and friends. Even if you didn’t buy a lot, it was just refreshing to get out, walk, and socialize with friends.

[@davidjym]

exactly. kids today will miss that social aspect of physical spaces.

[@stanfordite1]

@@davidjym No they won't. Malls will be the law and online shopping will be criminalized. Kids will be turned into clones of their parents.

[@davidjym]

@@stanfordite1 ????

[@wc4109]

Online shopping is 1 factor, but the other Big factor is the rampant theft & shoplifting at retail stores, that’s scaring lot of retailers & shoppers away…

[@Entername-md1ev]

I have to disagree, crime used to be so much worse back in the 70s/80s/90s when malls were at their peak. Just look at the stats

[@hphan7549]

Watch out, lawsuits and judgments Scared shtlss I wouldn't say that 🥴🙏🙏🙏

[@TidePodsRFood]

Crime is down, not up. It *feels* worse than it is because everybody has an HD camera in their pocket. Also, a lot of this retail theft isn't shoplifting, it's insiding.

[@whatsthisaboveme6064]

These people. You can get fired for trying to stop someone from robbing your store. I say theft has gotten really bad. My nearest target was shut down because of that and everything in walmart is getting locked up

[@benginaldclocker2891]

Asia still has malls despite online shopping being prevalent, so Amazon is not at fault here. They do shop online a lot, but they still go to the mall.

[@malicemew]

Its not just online shopping that caused a decline in malls, but also rise in thefts & gun violence makes people avoid enclosed spaces. My local mall in NJ had several incidents occurring mostly during the holidays & one of them was a bomb scare. Thieves tried using is as a distraction to rob a Macy's.

[@nguyeennn7464]

Only in the US 😅

[@Entername-md1ev]

You realize crime and gun crime used to be worse back in the day

[@helladankseedco.2411]

@@Entername-md1ev Or maybe it is downplayed now and was blown up then...

[@retroguy9494]

I'm in NJ too and nothing like that ever happened in any of the malls near me! The biggest thing was car theft. You must be near Newark or Elizabeth or Hudson Country or someplace like that. Or perhaps near Camden or the Vineland area.

[@benjammin5252]

As someone who works as a vendor in the malls every holiday season, malls in 2022 did amazing, however 2023, it was horrendously bad. Our sales numbers were down in the entire region in all the malls. A lot of the mall staff higher ups believe malls will probably be gone within 10 years.

[@TrinhNguyen-sh4fj]

I hope not as many still love in person shopping at the malls.

[@captainash777]

It’s essential for any shopping mall now, to stay in business, is to have entertainment areas such as theaters, bowling, skating, kids playground/games, food court, restaurants..etc. The activities that people can’t do it online or from home!

[@Melissa0774]

Yeah, I think so too. It used to be back in the day, the stores themselves could serve that function because they had lots of cool stuff out that you could just hang out and play with, even if you didn't intend to buy anything. But I guess it's just not economically viable to have stores like that anymore.

[@kalismols606]

You can even do that online now too....uber eats and watch whatever you want

[@THE-WAY_THE-TRUTH_THE-LIFE.]

Except take theater out for online streaming, and food court and restaurants out for online ordering.

[@sfeliciano1984]

The high prices dont help.

[@bracebrooks967]

You're right about that. That's actually why I rarely ever go to malls anymore. It's not because of online shopping in my case.

[@Randomdude1979]

I remember the last time I went to my mall, I saw pants that costed $99.99. thought I was gonna have a heartattack.

[@DY2727]

Even a t-shirt that you can find at ross for 5$ is like 30$ at hot topic spencers or zoomies

[@LoneStarRay]

This is the real answer, if they lowered their prices more people would go

[@hei0817]

Very different here in the Philippines. I don't understand. We also have online shops but people here would still prefer to go to malls.

[@maeversailles4609]

my mall is still packed in my area! many kids and families still go to my mall and it’s a good sight because many like shopping in person!

[@bobloblaw2958]

The average experience for people in the mall is looking, but not buying, then lunch at the food court.

[@StockTurboN20]

@@bobloblaw2958that’s why it’s fun

[@Skysky2318]

Same. I just went to mall few days ago.

[@swailjaffari4067]

yeah two in my area still gets lots of shoppers especially during the holiday season

[@maeversailles4609]

@@bobloblaw2958 i know everything is expensive nowadays but i see some people buying stuff now and then due to sales that they have!!!

[@totally_not_a_robot8098]

Not just online shopping causing this, theirs literally nothing of worth inside malls, how many people r willing to drive long hours just to buy overpriced trash?

[@maccoretti51]

Why would you drive hours to get to your local mall? 😂

[@ChickenLord319]

Exactly, a lot of stuff at malls you can find at your local Target or Walmart.

[@totally_not_a_robot8098]

@@maccoretti51 I'm not from the USA but I just assumed that's what people do, when I went their it was countryside for miles and gas was not cheap ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[@SUGAR_XYLER]

Right, overpriced junk because the rent is too high

[@cerisem7727]

I wouldn't say there's nothing, since some malls have interesting stores compared to others. But the blame should go to the stores, since most of the stuff they sell is overpriced compared to stores outside the mall. Also the lack of variety in some malls. For example you could find a clothing store with the same items on one end of the mall, and on the opposite you find five stores selling the same things.

[@xMontorix]

Buddy, i grew up in the slums of Cleveland, Ohio. Ive been seeing this site since 2008. Now in Atlanta and that mall NEVER sleeps.

[@jahmalonbethel1307]

Malls in Florida still booming and they stay crowded especially during the holidays.

[@KC-ed1dj]

Because y'all need somewhere to run from that overbearing heat. 😄

[@NoahJohnson7452]

KC Yea we do

[@Silver6533]

Almost every home or apartment as an air conditioner in Florida. Every building you walk into has and air conditioner. Most vehicles on the road have a working air conditioner. So a mall is not the only place to escape the heat during the summer.@@KC-ed1dj

[@Betty-ub1jc]

And they don't allow the Homeless to be vagrants there. They also prosecute shoplifting, etc. So you can actually feel safe at the mall in Florida. Thank you Governor Ron Desantis!!!

[@kuroihitsuji8644]

The Mall of America in Minnesota is also still crowded and booming as usual

[@satyendrandonibanerjee8682]

This has been happening for years! Why is Inside Edition only talking about this now?

[@BenMonares]

No this started happening since Covid or retail theft

[@satyendrandonibanerjee8682]

@@BenMonares malls have been dying and closing since the late 2000s and early 2010s. Literally go on KZbin and type in abandoned malls, you're going to find videos dating back as early as 2008.

[@icarus2k]

​@user-uj5ly1eq5n It's not a new revelation, Newsweek declared malls a dying market back in 2008. The fact is online shopping has been taking over rapidly since the dawn of the century, and they were beat down hard by the 2009 recession shortly after. Covid and retail theft just put the final nail in the coffin.

[@mikejohn0088]

because they were told to now.

[@Sevillian16]

You can't SERIOUSLY be asking this question when people working full time can barely support themselves, let alone go shopping at a mall

[@davidjym]

Malls for relaxation

[@liamthenoguy]

Inside Edition: when’s the last time you went to a mall Me: a week ago

[@davidcartagena1272]

9 years for me

[@simonstevenson6686]

One month

[@kaylalovesdogs03]

my ex hasn’t been to one for 12 years 😭

[@ngndnd]

i actually went to one today (not to shop) and it was so depressing. That mall was always depressing but it used to be packed with people on the weekends before 2020

[@i.like.chicken.nuggets.17]

well idk about u guys but when i go to the mall its gone back to how it was BEFORE covid...

[@matthewbolden6239]

I miss the mall so much, I'm an 80s baby, so many of my fondest memories were at the mall. I do a majority of my shopping online now, but not really by choice, i developed condition back at the end of 2008 that causes my legs to swell, and in 2016 i suffered a bad fall and now have a bad hip and knee so I'm pretty much homebound except for doctors appointment's, but i would much rather be at the mall, it was the ultimate stress reliever and now i worry that the one mall i have always wanted to visit is going to close before i ever get a chance to go, THE MALL OF AMERICA! I'm only 38 and so far I've lost drive-In movie theaters, dine-in Pizza Huts, Video Stores, and now the Mall.💔

[@samuelrebecca9915]

I decree and declare healing into your entire body and whatever sicknesses that is bounding you or restricting you for not having your normal life will never have hold on you no more in Jesus mighty name 🙏❤sending hugs and prayers to you..please don't ever give up because you will have those regular times you deserve back 🙏🌹

[@duckmercy11]

Do you get disability or WFH?

[@brit7280]

Yes, drive-ins & video stores. Dam I miss those days

[@haydenfowle7576]

24 hour Walmarts, Classic Cartoon Network and Chinese Buffets

[@Brandi_alanaa]

In Jesus Name, Amen!!!

[@seanmahoney2755]

No middle class, no malls.

[@Joshy1313]

We only have 1 mall left where I live in CA, you can thank inflation mainly. Who shops at malls now when most of the state is living paycheck to paycheck ? SMH. Inside edition should've mentioned that.

[@romancetips365]

Yep, this. I can barely pay my bills and buy food. I haven't bought clothes in years.

[@mikejohn0088]

Inside Edition is simply more MSM control.

[@Wasserkaktus]

Bro it's hardly inflation at all: The US has lower inflation rates than most of the World (The bigger issue is that wage raises aren't equaling the inflation rate.). Bigger factors include the proliferation of online shopping and increased isolation.

[@Joshy1313]

@@romancetips365 same bro.

[@Joshy1313]

@Wasserkaktus we must not be talking about the same United States of America bro.

[@vinny9152]

Answer: People value convenience more than what malls offer over the e-commerce experience.

[@senior_duck968]

Fr in person shopping is just so fun

[@sparkysmom7149]

No. People VALUE THEIR LIVES more than shopping malls. Why go be a target of a psycho in a mall with a gun when you can go online and order what you want without trauma, violence, or death....

[@EnchiSaysHi]

​@sparkysmom7149 why do anything when you risk dying for exisiting? Stop fear mongering lol

[@Stillcurrentlyawkward]

I simply don't go because of location and it being over priced. I have to choose groceries over clothes

[@RudeDude4000]

@@sparkysmom7149that’s what happen when you keep voting red.

[@ANGELSLVME]

So sad! We begged our parents for bus money on Saturday to go to the Mall! Now everyone shops ONLINE

[@ThatHeatXX]

I hate online shopping so much. You have to wait so long for stuff to arrive, plus nothing beats walking up to an item and feeling it with your own hands in person. Online shopping will never replace that.

[@amethystAnge7]

But if we’re being honest, it’s more of a façade for online shopping I think it’s more the economy and where we’re at with our money bills come first

[@Alastair_Adana]

Also doesn’t help that everything is ridiculously expensive now, and that brick and mortar stores get robbed to death especially in california.

[@minxili3317]

Ya'll must not have long patience if you can't wait. I've forgotten I have brought stuff online and have packages coming until the packages show up at my doorstep. That's when I remembered I brought stuff online.

[@ilttpvvm]

The mall in Staten Island, New York is still quite active, thank you very much.

[@lillianp-yj6yx]

both have their conveniences. I like shopping for clothes, shoes and things like candles and perfumes in the store. I can see, feel and try on the clothing and shoes, smell the perfumes and candles. online is nice when i'm wanting something not available near me

[@thomaswatt99]

Blame flash robbery for this as well

[@MikeG82]

yeah they don't want to admit the diversity they claim to love is what closed a lot of these malls

[@nickerskine6326]

and covid.

[@jaycensangel.304]

​@@MikeG82Here we go🙄

[@nachc6459]

​@@jaycensangel.304 saying here we go again proves nothing. Say something useful

[@KillenEMsoftly]

lol not really.. more like covid and a weaker economy

[@Opethfeldt]

50000 people used to shop here. Now it's a ghost town.

[@miltonc686]

I love buying things in person more than online shopping

[@Diegochicas_]

Same, like when i shop for cloths i like shopping in person than online, and most of the time u dont get what u want when u shop online

[@escapetherace1943]

the thing is people would try on stuff at the malls, then go buy it online and save 5 dollars.... so they use the fitting service and staffing of a store but then do not patron it, and it goes out of business. really sad

[@Drozey710]

I miss going to the mall so much, id still go if my town didnt take it away decades ago. Shopping, hanging out, midnight game releases, food.. better times man, better times.

[@emilioivanjimenezlopez5798]

It's because of bad city design but we're not ready for this conversation

[@_Just_Another_Guy]

My local mall is still pretty highly active and I live in a suburb. Ironically, the Walmart at that mall seems to be the only store that has experienced a massive decrease in shoppers. I'm thinking it's because they totally changed the layout of the store that's been there for 20+ years.

[@Jerry-d3l3f]

Prices to rent a space is outrageous!!

[@elultimo102]

The mall sometimes took a percentage of the store's gross receipts.

[@sksuppressor756]

The poor don't go out shopping at the mall, the rich don't go out shopping. Malls were meant for the middle class.

[@MichaelLauzon1976]

'...Wishing they could go back to the future when there were no ghost malls...' I think he should've said "go back to the past when there were no ghost malls!"

[@Xeonerable]

Yeah when he said that I was like... **visible confusion** the malls would probably be demolished in the future lmao

[@shontoo6979]

It’s a reference to the movie, Back to the Future

[@MichaelLauzon1976]

@@shontoo6979 Thank you, Captain Obvious, I saw the movie in the theatre in 1985 and various times on VHS after that...!

[@Jeanne90275]

Times change. People buy on line, and teenage thugs congregate at malls, making them unsafe both inside and in parking lots.

[@duckmercy11]

Nothing to do with it. Teenage thugs were around in the 80s-00s, and crime was worse then.

[@stanfordite1]

Times don't change anymore. History is done.

[@R-py6uf]

Yes black teens*

[@guerralg63]

​@duckmercy11 No, it wasn't. Yes, there have always been thieves and shoplifters, but never as bad as today, and it's only going to get worse.

[@TrinhNguyen-sh4fj]

@@guerralg63I don’t agree as it has always been that way but it is just that the news spreads faster these days due to technology. Therefore, it feels like it is more crime these days.

[@pjgamer780]

What sucks about this is that I LIKE MALLS! Seeing people not go to them sucks, they're so cool 🥺

[@highcreep3347]

I dont understand why people buy everything online? If it's hard to obtain an item, that's understandable. But when you buy online you pay so much in shipping prices and you have to wait for it to arrive. It's also sad because I remember my mom giving me five or ten dollars when I was younger, and I would go buy things at the mall. Now, a mom just hands their kids the credit card.

[@davidrenton]

i'm in the UK, i can order something from Amazon at say 7pm , and for a lot of stuff will arrive by noon the next day often free shipping. I live in London, if i drive to central london, that's £20+, it's hard to compete with that. I was buying from Amazon when it was just a book retailer (many people forget that)

[@katzgar]

anti vaxxers is why

[@sdigf3167]

Pure laziness.

[@truthspeaks281]

They give better deals online

[@horseface3725]

I don't like shopping online either, especially when it comes to buying clothes, but I'm usually forced to do it. The city where I'm in has so many shoplifters and weirdos, the services at stores suck, overcrowded, and they often don't have what I'm looking for. So those problems could also be reasons as to why so many shop online nowadays.

[@Shad0wWarri0r]

My father owns a jewelry store in a mall so I have a lot of fond memories growing up visiting him often and even working in one. There’s something so depressing about seeing all those closed shutters…. People’s hopes and dreams were once put in to what lay behind them.

[@Karmalu]

For all my South FL people know Dadeland Mall, Dolphin Mall, and The Falls would never die out. They’re packed literally everyday lol

[@heathermichael3987]

Because nobody has any money .

[@justayoutuber1906]

Uh, the stock market is over 38,000, unemployment is at 3.3%

[@victorkd9926]

@@justayoutuber1906lmao, two figures which mean absolutely nothing when it comes to financial well-being

[@P1995.]

A lot of people have become more lazy too. They don’t want to get up and drive and walk around the mall.

[@ComposerConductor]

Not just online shopping, but rampant crime likely scares away many as well.

[@gsmith6026]

Especially when the news shows gangs of people running into stores grabbing everything they can carry and running out, not caring who they knock over and trample in their quest for that 5 Finger Discount.

[@ComposerConductor]

@@gsmith6026, exactly.

[@muhammadizzdanish2562]

*"50000 people use to shop here,but now is a ghost town"*

[@lesliediaz9769]

Talk about not having social skills....I guess this generation would rather talk to a screen than a person 😔😔😔

[@supersanicgaming8031]

Yes. We would.

[@Lizzyscloset]

It’s honestly sad cause recently back in March a mall that’s been apart of my childhood closed. It really does hit once something that was so little in your life closes that meant so much and it’s honestly sad to know how everything is being closed over a convenience

[@SimbiAni]

my favorite movie theater closed some years ago, but sat empty ever since - until last spring, when the entire remaining standing property was razed which hit me so hard cuz part of me always hoped a miracle would happen & it could've been saved.. 😭

[@mattgibney4085]

Here in jersey it ain’t no different. Covid changed everything, I used to always hit the malls with my boys. Buy some clothes, check some shoes out, get some food but now we rarely go to the mall. Even on my own if I need something I order it online, here in jersey Livingston mall is dead, other malls aren’t so hot either

[@Jim-bu6ei]

I have bought several items of clothes online that did't have the right fit, so I had to go thru the hassle of sending them back, it's better to buy clothes from a mall so you can try them on and see if they have the right fit and look.

[@CaWolfie258]

My mom and I still go to the mall at least once or twice every few months, I'd rather go in person and see if the item or clothing I want is in good condition rather than buying it online and have no idea what condition the package inside and outside would be in.

[@LucreDenouncer]

I'm guessing Bath & Body Works is so resilient because you can't sample smells online

[@Nyxtify]

Personally I only shop online if it's something I can't normally get in stores, like if something's out of stock, unique, etc.

[@citooi]

as a teen we ALL go to the mall to hang out with friends and it’s usually packed on the weekends. i live in the east coast of the us

[@aqueen04]

I remember going to the mall as a kid. My mom would take me there for back-to-school clothes shopping, and she'd essentially have to bribe me to do it (clothes shopping gave me a literal headache every time we went). We'd take an hour to get me set for school, and then we'd head over to the mall's bookstore nearby - Walden Bookstore, if y'all remember them. 😅

[@studentathlete7751]

Shopping online is great but so is shopping in person. I highly doubt that all shopping 🛍️ malls will become ghost towns.

[@daltonroberts8692]

Maybe its because a plain tshirt is now $35.

[@ALX65]

I like big malls☹ getting lost throughout every floor just exploring. I remember going with my family on the furniture floor and they had all these beautiful rows of beds and you could just lay on them to test them. Fun times. Curse you online shopping lmao

[@MountainClimber247]

Same

[@ahoymoy]

I actually prefer shopping at the mall compared to online, it's more convenient to try on clothes there. Comparing that to shopping online, then wearing it and returning it if not correct. The worst case is I would need to wait days for the $$ to come back into my wallet/credit card. Might not be a hassle, but if ALL/EVEN MORE malls close, then you're going to wait even LONGER for return processing.

[@dareasonx24]

This is dumb…. Every mall i go to is packed.

[@davidjym]

nope

[@amethystAnge7]

Because people don’t have enough money for malls and then online shopping it’s cheaper

[@A_Borden_History]

The Burlington mall in Burlington, Massachusetts is still going strong since it was built in 1968! A lot of the stores have been there for the amount of time I’ve been alive

[@B-ch6uk]

I was just there a few days ago. It was a ghost town. Granted it was during the week but still.

[@A_Borden_History]

@@B-ch6uk I was there today and it was absolutely packed, Couldn’t walk around inside Macy’s without bumping into a middle aged woman

[@B-ch6uk]

@@A_Borden_History I guess they're doing okay since they did add on with all those new stores and restaurants. I'm glad. It's still my go to place when it rains.

[@kimmichaud7741]

​@@B-ch6ukI work at the macys it's always packed

[@kimmichaud7741]

​@@A_Borden_HistoryI work at that macys lol

[@aaronoutdoors7556]

Amazon and phones. No need to hang out if you’re a teenager and no need to shop out if you’re an adult.

[@gingerdurbin2726]

It’s not a ghost town till the Brady Bunch shows up in a station wagon

[@William1866]

Malls started going under before online shopping.

[@haydenfowle7576]

COVID was responsible too

[@MPPG663]

Replace those empty stores with pubs, dart clubs, card room etc

[@r.a.6459]

My city's malls knew this and adapted. Arcades, bowling alleys, snooker tables, jukebox and a cybercafe that still run Windows XP full of old games. In addition to newer style food courts that sell Japanese and Korean cuisines. Oh, they also have shops that repair your phones and PCs.

[@itsyoboi494]

1:32 “back to the future when there were no ghost malls” I think he meant back to the PAST 😂

[@davidwesley2525]

Back to the Stone Age 1980s , No Internet , No Smartphones . 😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅

[@giovanniperez4264]

He really just means "Back to the Future" as in the movie genius. The movie will always be the past. Just like malls apparently.

[@Victoria-qb6cc]

The mall I frequented throughout my childhood has been demolished little by little due to how empty it has become. When I was little my parents would take me there every weekend and I remember seeing hundreds of people and over 50 stores. Last week I walked in and most of the stores were gone, only a dozen people were walking around, and what used to be a place full of life now is something depressing. It’s crazy thinking that someday malls could become part of the past.

[@JustRememberWhoYoureWorkingFor]

Yeah my thoughts exactly. The same is happening in Europe

[@Max1996YT]

@@JustRememberWhoYoureWorkingFor In Europe too? Citation needed.

[@TrinhNguyen-sh4fj]

It would be sad if malls get extinct. I will miss it a lot!

[@Thatlittleinsaine2]

“When was the last time you went to the mall?” Today…. It was packed

[@tamarasimmons6695]

Wow! Retailers need to re-stock their stores. Put items they have online in the stores in all sizes.

[@tomsimpson5317]

I miss the old days

[@justayoutuber1906]

..said every person for the last 500 years

[@annien.1727]

Me, too!

[@TrinhNguyen-sh4fj]

I think we all do!

[@Fordishperformance]

Nothing like hard hitting news from inside edition. The mall has been dead since 2006

[@KC-ed1dj]

Who remembers McCrory's, Lerners, Things Remembered, Sears, 5-7-9, Tower Records, Borders, Kinney Shoes, Sam Goody, Contempo Casuals, Structure, B. Dalton Books....and Orange Julius in the food court? I am so glad I was an 80s kid. Spending Saturday afternoon at the mall and snacking on McDonald's two cheeseburger meal for like $2.99. 😁 Wish I could go back to those simpler times.

[@stanfordite1]

All of those stores will be coming back after online shopping is outlawed.

[@stanfordite1]

@Alex.Culkin I speak the truth. It's not long gone and most of those stores still exist in the form of speakeasies like during Prohibition. Technology is dying and being outlawed. Online shopping will be against the law and people will be sent to government re-education to be made to shop in malls.

[@catpax6075]

Retailers moved towards profits over serving customers… you have to pay to park just to be in most parking lots for shopping centers these days. It has to be worth it to the consumer…

[@destelpa]

My local mall only gets bigger every year.... I dont even dare to go near it around Christmas anymore. So this is news to me.

[@potatomatop9326]

Last time i went to a mall was back in 2004. After i got my first Nintendo DS, i imprisoned myself and now i'm a Kryptonian.

[@prism560]

Meanwhile. The mall in my country: packed like sardine

[@ryondler_gaming]

technology destroys a mans business

[@JangoFett220]

Honestly with the amount of packages getting stolen after being left by the front door I’m surprised people haven’t just started going to shopping centres again to ensure they can actually get what they want (granted they’re not so ghost town like here in the uk) It’s happened so much with Evri and Yodel packages especially. I bought a laptop on Black Friday online but decided to pick it up from the physical shop as I was taking no chances with that.

[@kaylalovesdogs03]

that’s what made me start driving 30 miles (48 km i think) just to go to the nearest forever 21 store. i bought $60 worth of stuff online only for the carrier (ontrac) to have stolen it. now i just shop in person, and have panic attacks when ontrac delivers anything of mine. ontrac steals packages

[@TrinhNguyen-sh4fj]

@@kaylalovesdogs03I feel bad for you and I lost over $100 dollars worth of stuff due to poor packaging. They sent me an empty box claiming it got lost during the shipping. I was so mad!

[@fennecfrogsstudios]

That makes sense, Im guilty of this, I always shop on Amazon these days but thats mainly because they have things most in person places do not. In fact if they started to sell what I was looking for and didnt have such high prices I would rather go in person and get it that day.

[@jhonwask]

Id rather a mall than online shopping.

[@IvisH23]

This mall reminds me of Sunrise Mall in Corpus Christi, Texas where The Legend of Billie Jean was filmed.

[@ehrichweiss]

The local mall(we used to have 3) no longer allows anyone under 18 to be in the mall without a legal guardian. Mind you, they did this because some teens showed up to start fights, etc. a few years ago but rather than spending money on guards(they have exactly zero there), they imposed this policy. Every Xmas season we'd take our kids there and let them pick out gifts but we couldn't let them go by themselves now so that's right out. When I was a teen we'd go to the mall all the time and while we didn't have a lot of money, we did spend it there. Now they act like they're too good for kids to spend their money there. Their loss.

[@MrJuvefrank]

California has gone to the doggies. No security=crime.

[@mmcgahn5948]

If they have no guards, how do they enforce the unaccompanied child under 18 rule?

[@SUGAR_XYLER]

​@@CornPoppe-io5wc Right, it's mainly Gen X

[@MultiCreditKIng]

Malls started to become bad when they started telling everyone they could do everything online like Amazon.

[@NebulazGamez]

My mall is thriving and it still has a bunch of people

[@laurasutcliffe723]

Whaaaat?! The mall that I go to (about 3-4 times a year) is ALWAYS crowded. The parking lot is full, no matter if you get there before the mall even opens. I got there the other day, about 15 minutes after it opened and struggled to find a spot. The Sephora was a zoo, Nordstrom was busy, Victoria’s Secret was hopping, etc. This was on a random Tuesday, a school day, with no huge sales at the stores or anything, yet it was crawling with shoppers. Lmao 😂

[@carmenkodagoda-peiris317]

I know what you mean, the large mall in the next town over is always very busy and the Mall of America is always packed. Maybe it depends on the location? 😅

[@Xiosoranox]

I think this is happening in certain bigger cities like in California or New York. The mall in my area is as busy as ever because its "something to do".

[@xXdqBlizzardXx]

Everybody gangsta till you start hearing heavy rolling sounds approaching you...

[@ConnorlikesMMA]

Yeah the mall I used to go to closed in 2019. But I still went to it in like 2017 but it was like the quietest and most emptiest place ever.

[@jacoryarnett7347]

I blame social media and online shopping.