The ESL class recently went on a field trip to the American Dream Mall with Mr. Chiang. According to one of the students, the place was like a game come to life. The trip was convenient since none of the kids had to pay for anything during it.
American Dream is the second-largest mall in the US. Most people who have been there would describe it as big, with loud bright colors, over the top, and maybe even a little overstimulating. But American Dream is just one of many malls out there. What makes mega malls like this one more common and what has happened to regular malls?
The Rise of Online Shopping
Since COVID-19 disrupted daily life in 2020, shopping habits have changed significantly. E-commerce, especially through platforms like Amazon, has become much more convenient for consumers. The combination of low prices and fast shipping continues to draw in shoppers.
As a result, there are a lot of dead malls. Quite a few stores have been struggling financially or even shut down. Big stores like Macy’s and Forever 21 have closed due to a decrease in customers.
Restrictions on Children & Teens
Back in the 90s and early 2000s, teens dominated malls. Now, malls feel practically vacant. And there is a clear reason why: Teens can’t go anywhere.
“Parental Guidance Policy” is quite the common thing to see at malls since April 18, 2023. This is ironic to the stereotype of mall-goers being teenage friend groups. Sure, a group of teenagers with one or two 18-year-olds could go but what about middle schoolers, for example? How are they going to find an adult who will agree to go? They could bring a sibling or parent or aunt or something, but that would take away the fun. Adolescents naturally like to be independent as it can prepare them for adulthood, when they’ll have to navigate by themselves.
Malls have also had curfews since 2021. So where do teens go when they want to hang out at night during the weekend? There are very few places teenagers would want to spend time late. Most places are closed, even parks. Convenience store? Those have loitering signs and people could actually get in trouble for just standing somewhere with seemingly no reason.
Mega Malls
The 2 largest malls in America are Mall of America and American Dream. The Mall of America is in Bloomington, Minnesota and was created by Triple Five Group, the company known for creating North America’s largest mall, the West Edmonton Mall. The Mall of America has seen massive growth throughout the years, including an aquarium and the theme park, Nickelodeon Universe.
Unsurprisingly, American Dream was created by the same company that made The Mall of America. Their goal was to make a large center with a waterpark, indoor snow park, as well as many stores and entertainment venues. While this mall definitely sees lots of customers, it may not be enough. American Dream has allegedly avoided paying taxes to East Rutherford for a long time and owes at least $13 million.
So, clearly, not all malls are in danger. Quite a lot have shut down, as stated previously. But I guess as long as malls get bigger and get more attractions, maybe more people will start going again.
Image Credit: https://www.visitlakecounty.org/shoppingmalls