general Does anyone still go to shopping malls?

[Prospekt 10,984]

@2nd Amendment Brony's status update got me thinking...

Does anybody here still go to shopping malls? Are they pretty much empty or do a decent amount of people still go there? It's sad that they're a dying breed nowadays, since online shopping has exploded in popularity.

I'm glad people still go to the mall in my college town, even though it's clear that it is nowhere near as popular as it was when it was originally built. Much of the parking lot around the complex is now empty space. But there are some neat shops in there, like a retro gaming store and two stores that are basically Hot Topic under different names. There's an arcade, and the food court has some great pizza + pretzels.

[Lucky Bolt 34,914]

I still go to the mall from time to time. I especially love it during the holiday season, and plus...my favorite store is located in my local mall: Spencer's! 

My mall is typically pretty busy...it gets decent business it seems. I have noticed though, outdoor shopping outlets are becoming the next big thing...malls are slowly but surely becoming obsolete.

[Here No Longer 5,270]

If there were stores worth going to and I had one nearby, yes I would actually. There's something about going in a shopping mall and walking around the conglomeration of stores that you just cannot get with services like Amazon. Not to mention, of course, I wouldn't have to support a near monopoly to buy things as well. Though it unfortunately looks like Amazon's increasing grip on society is only going to get tighter as the years come and go and Jeff Bezos' head looks more and more like some creepy old man's phallus.

[TheRockARooster 47,284]

Yes, I still go to the mall and shop as well as eat. ^^

[Ruddboy Olaf 10,627]

I only really go because the FYE's located inside. Everything's just too overpriced for me. Not in the sense that I can't afford it, but more in the sense that I don't want to spend $25 on a shirt.

[Kyoshi Frost Wolf 40,278]

I would if not for 3 crucial problems: 1. The closest one to me is about 30-40 minutes away. 2. I don't have a good enough income and 3. Most of the stores within it seem to be stupid jewelry stores. 

[Meson Bolt 2,647]

Only for baked pretzels.

[Cash In 21,509]

I generally only go there if I absolutely have to and they're usually pretty busy at all times. So no, I wouldn't say they're a dying breed.

Edited January 4, 2022 by Cash_In

[Angle Alastor 3,805]

i do becouse of the apple store whenever i need an upgrade or anything i guess but its a once in a while thing.

[MangoFoalix 24,898]

I do go sometimes. It depends on if I need something.

[ShadOBabe 18,984]

Oh heck yeah. I don’t go often, but when I decide to go hang out there, the place is packed. During work/school days it’s far less crowded, but on the weekends it explodes.

Edited September 18, 2019 by ShadOBabe

[Brony Number 42 9,927]

I go because it has Best Buy, Target, Barnes & Noble, and Gamestop. It is something to do every couple of weeks. But if there is something specific I want I usually get it online. I don't buy designer cothes.

[SparklingSwirls 21,261]

No, not anymore. There aren’t any malls near me that are easily accessible, and I just don’t need to buy clothes often anyways. Last summer I went to a really big mall out in the suburbs though, which was kind of fun to walk around, they even had a Tesla shop .

I used to like walking around the mall in my hometown from time to time just to see what was new.

Hmm, at least I can easily go to the National Mall  

[Will Guide 21,325]

I recently went to the mall on a job search. Didn't turn up results, but I did came home with a Nightmare Before Christmas steering wheel cover and leftovers from a Grill restaurant that had a mechanical bull!

The place actually shook when the bull was given a test run! 

[Lulaypp 2,554]

I am not too sure if what I go to do grocery is called a mall or a shopping complex. Or if both are the same thing. But where I go, it is generally filled with people. Not crammed, except weekends and holidays, but a large number of people. What I call a mall is generally filled with people. I don't go there myself (unless I want something specific) but from what I understand, malls here are kinda like a cool hyped place that people would want to go just for the sake of being there, telling people they have been there and such.

[KH7672 1,604]

10 minutes ago, SparklingCaps said:

Hmm, at least I can easily go to the National Mall  

That's awesome, I'm in a similar boat where I'm near King of Prussia, the second biggest, and I'll tell you that things there are not dying out anytime some. Even the other smaller malls near me that's somewhat of a ghost town in some parts have adjusted. I think one even opened an escape room attraction to stay with the trends 

[TBD 17,228]

I still go to the mall mainly with family. I'd go there about every week once a day or two since my sister's job place have a mall nearby and I have to pick her up from there. So it's a good place to hang for time to fly while waiting for my sister. Although I'm not crazy about shopping there since there aren't many store I'm interested in. The only few places I shop is Hot topic and boxlunch. Mainly Hot topic, I buy about 80% of my clothes from there since they have better sales and deals. Although Hot topic isn't great as it used to be with their attires so it's rare to buy clothes from them these days. Not enough punk.

[SharpWit 2,472]

There's 5 large malls that I know of in the area. The first one is doing ok because I don't think there's a lot to do around where it's at, and it's an older indoor one. The second is an outlet mall that's around 10 years old and pretty much empty except for some tourists so that was a bad investment. The third is well on it's way out. It gets busy around the holidays briefly, but otherwise people walk around mostly while waiting for the attached movie theatre times. Lots of empty places and more is becoming freed up. The fourth is doing fine, it has popular stores, an IMAX theatre next to it, a much more welcoming set up, and a good number of nice restaurants. I only wish they kept the Ruby Tuesdays which taught me that one of the secrets to really good hot chocolate is adding a scoop of vanilla icecream, and then there was this Mexican restaurant that had tile work commissioned from my grandmother and was partially set up by my now deceased grandfather. The restaurant left but they kept the tile work for another two franchises. The last mall is also doing well I think, but it's also so big that it feels more like an indoor street than a mall, but it's also in Seattle.

The generic mall is on its death bed because too many were built, were designed to house businesses rather than be a real hangout for people, and many are just filled with dying businesses that themselves haven't kept with the times or are just doing poorly. Some will stick around indefinitely because they've become more than just a place to shop, but don't be surprised to see these empty buildings and parking lots be turned into new condominiums.

[The Recherche 29,965]

On occasion, yes, though not terribly often. Contrary to what others may think, I believe malls will be one of the physical retail stores that last longer than most. Physical retail is only becoming more obsolete as time passes, but malls have two key advantages that will keep them alive: climate and convenience. For example, many successful malls are located in very hot areas, so large-air conditioned buildings with many attractions are becoming more enticing, especially when they are located near businesses and whatever other attractions the immediate area has.

Many (if not most) malls are definitely becoming antiquated, but I think a select few will remain in business, so long as they play their cards well. I am certainly not an economist or a businessman, but I think some malls can survive, so long as they adapt to the need of modern customers. If I were to guess, malls will evolve into a more social experience than a shopping experience.

[SparklingSwirls 21,261]

8 hours ago, KH7672 said:

That's awesome, I'm in a similar boat where I'm near King of Prussia, the second biggest, and I'll tell you that things there are not dying out anytime some. Even the other smaller malls near me that's somewhat of a ghost town in some parts have adjusted. I think one even opened an escape room attraction to stay with the trends 

Huh? No, the National Mall isn’t a shopping mall xD. It’s a park.

I think you’re thinking of “Mall of America”.

Edited September 18, 2019 by SparklingCaps

[KH7672 1,604]

23 minutes ago, SparklingCaps said:

Huh? No, the National Mall isn’t a shopping mall xD. It’s a park.

I think you’re thinking of “Mall of America”.

That's what I get for making quick posts at midnight 

[Kamii 594]

I still go to shopping malls, mostly because I don't trust measurements and random models to tell me if a given clothing item will look good on me, so I must go out of my way to try said things before buying them. And, at least in my country, a lot of stores I buy from don't have the best functioning online stores or don't sell their things online at all. Plus, going to the mall can be fun, so why not do it sometimes?

Going to malls in close proximity to Lisbon (or in Lisbon itself), they're always full. I'd imagine some malls have less people than others but they always have people walking around.

[Rawzy 1,302]

I know people that love going to malls, girls seem to love them because.....shopping. Personally if a mall was the closest thing to me then yes I'd most likely utilize that one. If not, I usually just try to find the shortest distance possible to find exactly what I need. Malls can be cool however if they have a movie theater there or other entertainment areas, maybe there might be some thing that came to mind that you want to get after watching a movie or playing a game.

[Justin_Case001 4,855]

I sure hope so.  I do.  It's the only place I can show off my hand-made fashions.  If all the malls close, there will be nowhere for me to go.  There's already basically nowhere to go.  I don't want to lose the malls too.

[Envy 5,998]

I quite like the mall, but haven't been able to go much in the last year and a half with my limited mobility. =(

Back in the 90s when I was a kid we actually had three malls, the first one that closed, closed pretty early in the 00s IIRC. We have two left, I think. I heard of one closing, but it seems to still be open today. Either way, the closest mall (not the one I heard was closing) is still crowded whenever I go in there, so I don't think it is having any trouble staying around. It may not be 100% of what it was back when I was a kid, but it is still very much getting a lot of business.