OT: Christmas Shopping: Shopping Malls are going to be a thing of the past

[Freddie.B.Cocky]

in the next 10-15 years. My wife and I went Christmas shopping at the Asheville Mall today and this past Wednesday. We did a large portion of our Christmas shopping on-line but certainly not all of items were bought on-line.

Anyway, in years not too long ago anytime you when Christmas shopping at the Asheville Malls between Black Friday and Christmas the mall was always packed, be it a weekday and or weekend. In fact, it use to be a nightmare just to drive into the Asheville Mall and find a parking place. But this week there were no long traffic lines, plenty of parking spaces, etc. Once we got into the mall the crowds were small considering it was Christmas. We didn't have to wait in lines very long to pay for our purchases nor did we have trouble getting a clerk to help us. But gosh it use not to be that way at all. The Asheville mall was is in a hard to drive around in location but again that was no problem this year.

Now one thing is missing from the Asheville Mall is Sears which was a large anchor store but I don't think it would have made that much of a difference. I think JC Penny's is still there although we didn't go into that store.

But, it's just shows the passage of time. Use to everyone shopped downtown, then everything moved into the malls. Now everyone is going on-line, which I enjoy and the malls will ultimately become condominiums?

 

[VirgilCaine]

Honestly, I haven’t set foot in a mall in over 10 years.

 

[Zann77]

I was in Briarwood Mall in Ann Arbor, Mi today. It’s an older mall, verging on shabby-it hasn’t been updated in a long time, if ever. But it has a number of upscale stores-Apple, Pottery Barn, Von Maur- and it was packed and bustling-no empty storefronts. Did my heart good to see a mall doing well. What I think is going to pass first are the better department stores. Von Maur was not busy at all.

We went by the Michigan stadium. It’s a very handsome facility-awesome, actually- with what appears to be a lot of newer brickwork on the outside (made me think of the Rockies stadium in Denver). Got a kick out of seeing it.

 

[world famous 3rd base hecklers]

in the next 10-15 years. My wife and I went Christmas shopping at the Asheville Mall today and this past Wednesday. We did a large portion of our Christmas shopping on-line but certainly not all of items were bought on-line.

Anyway, in years not too long ago anytime you when Christmas shopping at the Asheville Malls between Black Friday and Christmas the mall was always packed, be it a weekday and or weekend. In fact, it use to be a nightmare just to drive into the Asheville Mall and find a parking place. But this week there were no long traffic lines, plenty of parking spaces, etc. Once we got into the mall the crowds were small considering it was Christmas. We didn't have to wait in lines very long to pay for our purchases nor did we have trouble getting a clerk to help us. But gosh it use not to be that way at all. The Asheville mall was is in a hard to drive around in location but again that was no problem this year.

Now one thing is missing from the Asheville Mall is Sears which was a large anchor store but I don't think it would have made that much of a difference. I think JC Penny's is still there although we didn't go into that store.

But, it's just shows the passage of time. Use to everyone shopped downtown, then everything moved into the malls. Now everyone is going on-line, which I enjoy and the malls will ultimately become condominiums?

My Mall is sitting in my chair and selecting items online and waiting on the elves to bring them too me...

 

[world famous 3rd base hecklers]

Merry Christmas!

 

[jonesz21]

As long as The Cheesecake Factory is at the Greenville Mall I will make a trip or two to the Mall

 

[funktavious]

It's getting like that all across the country. Citadel Mall shut down in Chaleston and Northwoods doesn't get as much traffic as it used to. Online shopping is so much more less expensive and less of a hassle. Before the 2000s the mall was also where teens loved to hang out. I also think that phase has passed. Kids no longer need to congregate as much since they have smartphones and social media.

 

[mauze1]

in the next 10-15 years. My wife and I went Christmas shopping at the Asheville Mall today and this past Wednesday. We did a large portion of our Christmas shopping on-line but certainly not all of items were bought on-line.

Anyway, in years not too long ago anytime you when Christmas shopping at the Asheville Malls between Black Friday and Christmas the mall was always packed, be it a weekday and or weekend. In fact, it use to be a nightmare just to drive into the Asheville Mall and find a parking place. But this week there were no long traffic lines, plenty of parking spaces, etc. Once we got into the mall the crowds were small considering it was Christmas. We didn't have to wait in lines very long to pay for our purchases nor did we have trouble getting a clerk to help us. But gosh it use not to be that way at all. The Asheville mall was is in a hard to drive around in location but again that was no problem this year.

Now one thing is missing from the Asheville Mall is Sears which was a large anchor store but I don't think it would have made that much of a difference. I think JC Penny's is still there although we didn't go into that store.

But, it's just shows the passage of time. Use to everyone shopped downtown, then everything moved into the malls. Now everyone is going on-line, which I enjoy and the malls will ultimately become condominiums?

I heard there were some all’s being converted to parks. They still have some businesses but have walking patches and exercise equipment.

 

[funktavious]

https://sephlawless.com/inside-creepiest-abandoned-malls/
Here's a creepy look into some abandoned malls in America.

 

[uscnoklahoma2]

Malls became dangerous places. That was a contributor to their decline.

 

[1vagamecock]

I'm not a fan of Malls, but I despise online shopping. I like putting my hands on stuff before paying for it. Nothing like having to make a trip to the UPS store and waiting in line to send something back because it isn't right.

 

[paladin181]

in the next 10-15 years. My wife and I went Christmas shopping at the Asheville Mall today and this past Wednesday. We did a large portion of our Christmas shopping on-line but certainly not all of items were bought on-line.

Anyway, in years not too long ago anytime you when Christmas shopping at the Asheville Malls between Black Friday and Christmas the mall was always packed, be it a weekday and or weekend. In fact, it use to be a nightmare just to drive into the Asheville Mall and find a parking place. But this week there were no long traffic lines, plenty of parking spaces, etc. Once we got into the mall the crowds were small considering it was Christmas. We didn't have to wait in lines very long to pay for our purchases nor did we have trouble getting a clerk to help us. But gosh it use not to be that way at all. The Asheville mall was is in a hard to drive around in location but again that was no problem this year.

Now one thing is missing from the Asheville Mall is Sears which was a large anchor store but I don't think it would have made that much of a difference. I think JC Penny's is still there although we didn't go into that store.

But, it's just shows the passage of time. Use to everyone shopped downtown, then everything moved into the malls. Now everyone is going on-line, which I enjoy and the malls will ultimately become condominiums?

One of our malls is becoming an indoor sports complex. I remember hanging at the mall in the 90's. It was the thing to do, the place to be. Now you don't fight crowds, and 2/3rds of the available storefronts are empty.

 

[Rhizzlebop]

Wait......”going to” be a thing of the past? They still have mails? I thought those were just belks with giant waiting rooms and a food court

 

[Freddie.B.Cocky]

It's getting like that all across the country. Citadel Mall shut down in Chaleston and Northwoods doesn't get as much traffic as it used to. Online shopping is so much more less expensive and less of a hassle. Before the 2000s the mall was also where teens loved to hang out. I also think that phase has passed. Kids no longer need to congregate as much since they have smartphones and social media.

Yeah, kids use to hang out at the malls. I heard some news anchors talking on a morning show about how they use to hang out at malls and they disliked the fact they were going to be a thing of the past. They said hanging out at the malls was part of their culture, etc. LOL! My gosh, I remember hanging out at a neighborhood cafe or a drive-in meeting my friends. Oh how time has changed.

 

[Freddie.B.Cocky]

My Mall is sitting in my chair and selecting items online and waiting on the elves to bring them too me...

We are doing more and more ordering on-line. Amazon makes it so easy.

 

[Freddie.B.Cocky]

Wait......”going to” be a thing of the past? They still have mails? I thought those were just belks with giant waiting rooms and a food court

LOL!

 

[uscg1984]

There will still be a place for malls in larger metropolitan areas, especially those malls that cater to higher-end retail (example: Tysons I and II outside DC). Shopping online is very easy for most common stuff, but when it comes to buying $15,000 diamond necklaces, $1000 custom suits, or $500 Italian loafers, the online experience is lacking.

For everyone else in fly-over America, malls will either need to emphasize entertainment experiences (movies, ice rinks, laser tag, restaurants, etc.) or they will die the slow death.

 

[Progcockstin8r]

Asheville Mall? You must live up there because that’s not a destination shopping location.

 

[lostcock]

Columbiana is still full, and kicking, every Saturday of the year. Columbia Mall is busyish on weekends, but not the same. The “Columbia Mall” where I grew up, built in the 70’s, in a similar area, and was THE place to be for years, was demolished about 10 years ago I think. So Columbia Mall still has that going for it I guess.

 

[slufstuff]

Most of the malls I remember from the 1980's are long gone. One of my favorites was Cinderella City in Denver, CO. A huge place, 3 levels, two food courts, two giant parking decks. For many years it was the largest shopping mall west of the Mississippi. It had over 14,000 parking spots. (By comparison, Columbia Mall at it's peak only had about 6,000 parking spots, Columbiana Centre only has 4,000 parking spots)

The mall had over 200 stores. They had the niche small shops all together in the lower level, called it Cinder Alley. It was modeled to look like a New York City street, with NY store facades, street lights and a black ceiling simulating night time, a very unique place. Some really cool stores that you no longer see in malls, like an upscale knife shop, nice toy stores, off beat boutiques, etc. The mall was quite a palace in the day. It closed down in the late 1990's, now bulldozed.

Cinderella City was perhaps the pinnacle of 70's/80's American shopping malls. AFAIK, the only thing still operating in the same class is the Mall of America up in Minnesota. I doubt we see shopping venues being built like that ever again. I am glad I got to experience it at it's peak.