What do food courts offering a myriad of tantalizing options, various fashion outlets, gleaming jewelry stores and a bevy of individuals bustling for their next acquisition all have in common? They are associated with shopping malls.
An American icon since 1956, the tradition of the shopping mall began with the Southdale Center in Edina, Minnesota. For almost 70 years, malls have united people under the same roof, and served as a gathering place for the strengthening of preexistent or newfound social bonds. Unfortunately, they are gradually losing traction among consumers, some of whom might be MRHS Mustangs in the modern world.
According to Capital One Shopping on Shopping Malls Closure Statistics (2024): Are Malls Dying? there are approximately 1,150 malls in the USA, and sources project that by 2032, there will only be 150 functioning American malls.
Foremost, the rise of the digital market puts malls in contention with the considerably greater convenience of the internet. After all, why would anyone ever go to their local mall when they have unbridled access to an infinitely larger commercial hub via their phone?
While most individuals prefer the latter, the former still has advantages over its online counterparts, and vice versa.
“The benefits of going shopping [at] the mall, rather than online, [are that] you can go with your friends, which makes it so much more fun, rather than shopping online where you just sit down and barely move around. Because the mall is huge, [shopping there] is also an exercise,” freshman Abdullah Alnour expressed.
Whereas going to the mall is a more interactive consumer experience, shopping online tends to be a faster process.
“[When shopping digitally], you don’t have to deal with the hassle of waiting for other people in line, and your purchases are made right there,” junior Tyson Rauscher stated.
Despite the pervasive decay of malls, visitation remains a regular habit for a portion of Americans, who are persistently loyal due to a variety of personal reasons.
“I usually go to the mall one to two times a month and the frequency has increased, as I prefer going to see the clothing physically,” sophomore Holly Grutzik maintained.
Notably, malls are also starting to develop restrictive supervision policies. For instance, the Mall in Columbia, the largest shopping mall in Howard County and closest to MRHS, enacted a policy in May 2023 that banned shopping by those under 18 on Friday and Saturday, unless accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Nevertheless, dead malls may not stay as commercial wastelands. Both dead and living malls across the United States are being renovated to include small apartments, alleviating the housing crisis by providing those in need with affordable residence, as well as providing the elderly with walkable and well-connected spaces. Through industrial conversion, these untapped assets are beneficial to society, and the vast possibilities they are likely to transfigure into reality can solely be foretold.
Facing the task of competing against their fundamentally more expedient, web-based adversaries, malls are along the path of steady decline. Although they may become extinct, the flame of their cultural eminence will never be extinguished.