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What Happened to Malls?
DISCLAIMER! This is not mean to be a doom and gloom post about how we'll never be able to shop at malls again. This is just my own research + opinion on the subject. If anything, I say you don't agree with/feel as if you're being called out, feel free to let me know in a respectful manner in the comments. Thank you for taking the time to read my blog, and I hope you enjoy!
All articles used will be credited at the end.
The more and more we go out, the more we realize just how much is changing around us. A great example of this is malls. How many of you all have gone to your local mall, only to find out it's shutting down? Statistics predict that 87% precent of malls may shut down over 10 years. Another example is black Friday. I'm sure every shopper was disappointed to see that the price change was only down to 30%, rather than the usual 80-90% markdown. When you go to ask someone about these things, they always talk about shopping online. Is this truly the end? Are we witnessing the fall of shopping in person?
Part 1: Online Shopping
It should come as no surprise to anyone that online shopping has something to do with the death of malls. I'm not going to be stupid and claim that online shopping was a recent thing that suddenly appeared out of nowhere, it's been around for years. Its popularity has increased with more companies offering things like groceries, furniture, electronics... things that weren't being shipped out before. Online shopping peaked in during the pandemic, studies showing that it became 4 precent higher from 2019-2020, dropped during 2022, and now it's at an all-time high. There are many reasons for this, online shopping being more accessible and easier if you're not close to any stores. Many companies turn to online shopping since it's cheaper to manage and even easier to market. Online shopping is everything the mall isn't, so why should we care about going out anymore? Even if we're not buying, the internet is the reason we can socialize now, there's no reason to choose the mall as a space to hang out anymore.
No one is free from online shopping; it's something I even do. Not too long ago, I ordered something off of Depop, which is getting in Monday. I'm not calling anyone a monster for ordering a thing or two off of amazon, we can't always find the things we need locally. Despite all these amazing things, there are serious cons to online shopping in the first place. Going back to what I said about Depop, the shirt I had ordered cost three dollars and a few cents, too lazy to find the full cost. After paying for it, the whole thing + shipping went up to twelve dollars. Our first con, the shipping costs. Not only do they price up your item by 20+ dollars, but companies also love to lie and tell you to spend more money to avoid a fee, removing more money from your pocket. Online shopping also encourages you to spend your money impulsively, buying five items that you wouldn't have even thought about if at the mall. This is something I discovered when I was online shopping (Again, on Depop... whoops), spending over 100 dollars on clothing that I wouldn't have bought at the mall. Online shopping feeds off of that rush you get when you buy an item, encouraging you to buy more of it. Not that in person stores don't do the same, but it's far more effective online. You also don't have a guarantee of an item fitting you, or it not coming out looking how you wanted it to. Either way, online shopping is untrustworthy, greedy, and feeds off people's impulsiveness.
Part 2: Social Media, The Pandemic, and The Youth
I couldn't talk about malls downfall without bringing up social media. Let's be real, most of our interactions now come from social media. Going back to where it all began, the pandemic. Everyone was locked inside with nothing else to do other than being on our phones all day. How the pandemic affected everyone is a completely separate blog for another time, but I can mention it and how it made everyone a lot more anti-social and caused everyone to be on their phones. It's such a weird thing to think about, you'd think after staying at home all day all you'd want to do is go out and never stay indoors again. Anyways, the pandemic was the start of many people's addiction to staying in and socializing on social media. We've grown so accustomed to staying indoors that there's no point in going around and hanging with friends anymore. The same rush we get when chilling with our friends can easily be recreated by Face Timing them. The mall isn't seen as a place to be, not like people want teens hanging around areas like that anymore.
Malls stayed in business because of teens. 58% of people ages from 14-18 claim they shop at the mall. That's much higher than anyone 18+. Overtime, places have been much stricter about where teens are allowed to hang out. 105 out of the 1,222 malls in the US have policies against teens going into malls without parental supervision. While I understand that this is mainly a security concern, this restricts teens from having a safe place to hang out in and overtime can cause them to develop depression. Without malls, teenagers have very limited places to go. Shutting them down affects our youth mentally and physically.
Part 3: The Pros of Going to The Mall
Now that I've brought up a few reasons why malls have shut down, here's my personal opinions on why malls are important and the pros of still going. My first reason is the fact malls help you build memories. I don't really remember any of the times I've online shopped, but I sure can remember times I've been to the mall. The feeling of being there in person holds special memories, buying things in stores make them have more meaning. Not to mention it makes me feel more adult. This feeling is targeted more towards the teens on SpaceHey (That includes me tew!!!!). The feeling of going out, finding an article of clothing you like, trying it on, and then buying it with your own money feels so adult. At least I feel more independent when I go. Another reason on why going to the mall is so much better than online shopping is the fact it feels so nostalgic. The feel of going in the stores is just like the 2000s, something that everyone on this site is constantly looking for. If anything, the mall helps us romanticize going out as a whole. (I apologize for this part being extremely opinionated and not bringing up any percentages!)
Part 4: My Conclusion
I think it's time I wrap up my think piece about the mall. Here are my final opinions: I don't think that if you online shop you should be stoned and shunned from the world. Online shopping is something that's popular now and it's accessible to everyone. I don't think it's something that you should be doing constantly (For the sake of your own wallet) but it's not something I'd judge you for... unless it's Shein or Temu. I think that malls are very important places for everyone of any age, and it's sad to see so many of them shut down in these recent years. Two of my local malls are closing up, one of them already torn down. This blog was made to express my thoughts on this matter and mainly talk about how sad I am so seeing malls go. Maybe we'll see a spike of people shopping in person soon, with the rise in 2000s culture. Thank you so much for taking the time to read this blog, and I really hope a lot of you share the same views I do.
-Axel Agony
Sources Used:
Here's why younger shoppers still hit the mall | Ipsos, Banning minors from shopping malls is bad for business and teens - Fast Company, The Downsides of Online Shopping: 12 Real Cons (2025), Shopping Mall Closure Statistics (2025): Are Malls Dying?, The Restorative Power Of In-Person Shopping, How has online shopping changed the retail industry? | USAFacts.
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Comments
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ivoryinfection
actual truth speakin factz X3
.•♫•♬• xᴏxᴏ •♬•♫•.
Muahzhahah I live in Europe so malls are still thriving!!
No but seriously why is literally everything online
You wait 4ever for something and then it ends up being the wrong size so you have to send it back and get a different size sighhhhhhh the struggle
xXNouraNegationXx
i h8 online shops, and im not considering buying stuff from online shop in the future unless i really have 2 (smthn i cant find locally, etc),, the feeling of getting sumthin nd touching it w ur own hand is diff than adding 2 cart in amazon, like walking all the way 2 the stores (4 me its far from where i live) jst 2 go touch the beads by myself and feel them,, and choose between the colors, see them irl, i honestly dont care if im gna buy stuff or not, but as a homeskuld person who never rly got 2 expierence real life, i luve touching things 2 feel them in my hands, they are real, not jst objects in my screen,, the happiness of getting smthn and carrying it in a bag all the way is diff than getting it delivered 2 ur house and the u jst unpack,, the happiness of buying stuff irl isnt the same as ordering stuff online :)
xxRebellious_Emmaxx
My local mall is still doing alright and I can see it still being around in 2035 and beyond (it probably helps that it underwent an expansion project in 2009 to replace the Robinson's May that closed down in 2006 and now has stores and restaurants like Target, Best Buy, and Olive Garden to really help keep it afloat), though the same unfortunately can't be said about some of the malls a little further out that I went to from time to time as a kid (and one of them is now about to undergo a serious reconstruction project last time I heard).
I always go to actual stores to buy things unless it's something I can't find in a brick and mortar store and can only find online (mostly so when it comes to older, discontinued stuff, which just so happens to make up a decent amount of what I like to spend my money on).
Plus, what's not to like about showing off a cool outfit you put together and feel proud to wear and actually socializing with other people in a public space (especially if you happen to meet up with some of your friends there)? I find it very rewarding to go out in my 2000s best and getting to talk to other humans while I'm out, but maybe that's just me.
mal
1 of my local malls is a husk of its former glory & i can't say I've set foot in it in years due to it only having a sport check which i frankly couldn't care less about. my other 1 is still doing alright, there's not really a whole lot to do in my town so it still gets decent foot traffic (not as much as before since they removed the food court & replaced it with a liquor store...). it only this year opened a sephora which has helped bring more people in, and even more recently a record store, but it still lacks a lot of variety & stores for people who aren't younger than middle aged as well as older than middle aged. it makes me a little sad to see, but hopefully they add some more stores to improve it further so it can be a place that everyone can go to & find something they like.
side note, but your pieces are very well thought out & written & if you aren't majoring/looking to major in a form of english or journalism i'll be a little surprised?? bc i def see a lot of promise in your work
My local mall shut down completely to add a dicks sporting goods and the other is being torn down and turned into an apartment complex, but I'm happy to hear at least your mall is attempting to bring it back to life
Also, funny enough, I'm planning to be a sociology teacher for high school in the future, and I left my school's newspaper bc I wasn't confident in my writing whatsoever. but tysm this makes me feel better about my writing as a whole ^^
by AxelAgony; ; Report
oh that’s so lame ew.. i hope it can be affordable housing of sorts at least to make it a little better
but np! you def have a strong voice in your writing, it comes across very well imo. but best of luck in your degree & career!
by mal; ; Report
There's a mall somewhat close to me that's undergoing a major renovation project to add apartments (which, let's be honest, probably aren't going to even be close to affordable and are going to be one of those stupid "luxury" apartments that sickeningly pander to the wealthier folks) as well as a stupid hotel to it for some reason (I should mention that this mall is located in a smaller suburb tens of miles away from the airport or any sort of tourist attractions around here and in an area that many would consider not so "desirable", so it's really just us locals over here visiting that mall to even begin with).
I'm honestly gonna miss the old school 80s look and feel of that mall by the time this project is complete as they gut all the current interior decor try to make it look more soullessly "modern" or whatever.
by xxRebellious_Emmaxx; ; Report
Vivi !
Not a teen, but throwing in my two cents I suppose
Shopping in person would be sooooo much better in the states and some areas in Canada if cities were walkable or had more access to transit! Teens where I grew up were way more likely to be independent bc of the bus system, this has been a thing for many years here, but I find in the states, especially when i moved? That wasnt the case, and it was so much harder... especially if you cant afford a car or cant drive for whatever reason. Thankfully where I am, there is, and both malls in my city are booming. Both malls also have... an interesting reputation, mind you haha. What I don't like is, once they have everyone only shopping online, a lot of old people who may not know how to use the internet very well may struggle, and theyll start hiking up prices, and make it harder to return things (or even claim they never got it therefore no refund.) I agree with the issue of no guarantee of something fitting you, especially, I have that issue both in person and online unfortunately.
The pandemic definitely sped things up, but I disagree that it goes back to that, per se. We have been getting more and more separated IRL since before then, and the pandemic really just made that take off rather than starting it. I remember 2018-2019 witnessing more and more people IRL refusing to talk to others, pushing out anyone they deem weird (which in turn would make them turn to the internet- like me), which is not horrible- the internet can be great, but it also can feed into these issues. There was also a lot of propaganda post-pandemic surrounding the US govt and western life, but that's a documentary i need to find again to link, because its very interesting. I will agree it somewhat made people more fearful to talk to others, though, yes- especially Gen Z.
A main issue I've seen with malls is increasing hostility towards anyone who isnt spending a ton of money. You don't spend money? You're immediately suspicious, security surrounds you, you're harassed, and told to leave. It's been so so much worse year after year, it was already starting in 2018 when i was 15. Especially surrounding teens as you've mentioned.
Personally, at 22, I go to the mall near me a lot. It's not that far, has a lot of what I need there even just for essentials, and its cheaper than online more often than not... I'm someone who price checks and compares a lot, though. The biggest issue is just feeling like you're morally wrong for not buying something in a store if you dont find what you need, since thats a huge push ive seen. It's not just the pandemic- its that the system we have right now isnt working, so more people are struggling while more companies are trying to get more money, which isnt being circulated into the economy- which means people dont have the money to spend... because theyre struggling. An interesting cycle.
If someone uses Shein/Temu, while I personally dont, i try not to judge them- its the exact same thing as H&M, Hot Topic, etc. As those are also fast fashion- they also use shady tactics and labour, they just price things higher. I do encourage thrift shopping, though, if you live near one- you can find vintage clothes there as well which may be more your style? <3
tysm for ur input unfortunately I was 8-9 in 2018-2019 so I wasn't really aware of that being the start up
but I agree it's definitely the system too. I'm also aware about hot topic, H&M,.. etc being fast fashion, I only brought those two up since those are the biggest cases so far (From what I've seen)
AND YESSS a huge problem is there being so accessible ways to get from point A to point B, I was actually planning on doing another blog on third spaces!!
Tysm for taking the time to read the blog and u really helped me understand more about why malls are closing.
by AxelAgony; ; Report
I don't know about where you live, but where I'm from, there's a pretty good amount of bus lines running around here that can take you to all sorts of different places, including to all sorts of different malls (with many of those malls, including the one closest to me, even having transit centers within walking distance). It probably helps that I live right outside of a major city, though, as opposed to being someone from a rural area that hardly anyone has ever heard of.
I can easily hop on the bus and get to my local mall in just a few minutes (after waiting about half an hour for it or so). I sometimes even forget that there are people living in parts of the US (mostly people living in rural areas) that don't even have a single bus line anywhere near them to take them to almost anywhere they want to go as someone who has lived in an area with decent public transit options (mostly in the form of bus routes, since even for a big city, there aren't many train lines around here) my whole life.
And yeah, I definitely agree that buying clothing secondhand is a better and more sustainable option, even more so if you're someone like me who fits into some of the smallest clothing sizes ever made and also happens to be obsessed with a previous time period (mostly the 2000s for me).
by xxRebellious_Emmaxx; ; Report
yeahhh unfortunately most bus lines in big cities even suck, unless you're very downtown (and even then... its sub-par.) im assuming you live in one of the few cities with extensive and good transit, but to be fair, im also comparing it in my mind to where i currently live (i moved back to canada) as opposed to where i did before. I used to live in FL, and the city i was in had some busses, but it took you to veryyyy limited areas. one could get you to one mall, but who wants to walk 20 minutes in 100 degree F / 40 C weather to the nearest bus stop in that weather and then another 10 to the mall??? :( i wish it was better all over the states. Orlando, Tampa, even Jacksonville didn't have the best transit to live well without a car and unfortunately i have a disability that makes it hard for me to drive raah
by Vivi !; ; Report
My folks and I are too poor to even think about owning a car, so public transit is really our only option for going anywhere farther than what we're comfortable with traveling on foot for (and yes, this does mean we often do our grocery shopping on foot).
My area has several bus lines owned and operated by many different companies, but the frequency between different routes highly varies. There are some bus routes around here that run every 10 - 15 minutes per direction, some that run 30 minutes per direction, some that run only once an hour per direction, and some that only run during peak morning and evening hours. Traffic is also a major issue here (so much so to the point where I'm almost certain that this is THE home of the absolute most congested freeway in America and the street running off the freeway parallel to it isn't much better half the time) and that often has an impact on their arrival times.
I should also mention that there used to be even more bus lines around here, but a lot of those (much of those being rapid, limited, and freeway express lines, along with some circulator/shuttle lines) have gotten cut for various reasons since the 2000s and it seems like these cuts are slowly only getting worse. Hell, there used to be an alternate bus that my folks and I could take to get to the mall if we and I walked down to a slightly further bus stop than we would usually catch the bus at, but in September 2020, they made a partial cut to that line where instead of going farther down all the way to my local mall like it used to (and even that was a partial rerouting from a previous bus line that they scrapped altogether in 2012 that also stopped at that same mall when a new train line opened up that replaced much of that bus route), it now terminates at a train station quite far from it.
Still, can't complain too much because at least in spite of its faults, the public transit in my area is still decent and is far better than it is in many other parts of the US.
by xxRebellious_Emmaxx; ; Report
I used to live right next to the busiest highway in the world and one of my busses would go on that route, so i feel that :,) car companies lobby against transit, at all, so it makes sense why it isnt very refined in a lot of areas- but its still really sad to me. my own city now has pretty good transit, some have actually abandoned their cars for it, but its still imperfect. I'm sorry to hear about the cuts to transit there :( it seems like in some cities its getting better as some people move, and in some cities its getting so much worse. I also get the grocery shopping on foot though 3 theres a bus near me i guess that can take me to some places, but the nearest grocery store is a 15 min walk- same as the bus stop- so i might as well just bring a cart and do it there
by Vivi !; ; Report
AxelAgony
yall im gonna be so real this took it out of me omg but this was fun to write