Quote:
Originally Posted by fjtorres
Blaming the internet alone, and focusing on Amazon specifically, is short sighted. The problem is not online nor is it the Mall concept itself, but rather the technological and sociological changes that reduced the need and profitability of the format.
Essentially the same thing that happened to the cathedrals of literature.
There's still room for them but only in certain very specific and limited places.
It's the 21st century out there--a fifth of the way through--and 20th century concepts are more problem than solution. New age, new solutions needed.
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Yep, the mall is an old concept going back to ancient Rome but the modern American Mall really took off post WWII with people having cars and the money to go places. Now with the internet we don't need to go out in our cars to shop so they are in decline. According to Wikipedia shopping malls took in around 8% of retail space in 2017. I'm sure it was probably a lot more than that in their heyday right after WWII. Times change and cultures change with them if they want to survive as a culture that is.