[Wallace T.]

Many malls were built in the 1960s and 1970s, often near the loop or beltway around the city. What has happened to the areas where the malls are situated was similar to what happened to downtown shopping districts at the time the malls were built. The neighborhoods had downward economic turnover as the older inhabitants aged and either died, retired elsewhere, or went to nursing homes. Lower income residents moved in to homes that were 30-50 years old. Apartment complexes had a steeper and more rapid decline in the financial condition of the residents. Ethnic changes also took place. In the 1990s and this century, many malls became hangouts for “youts”, scaring away many customers. Middle class white families moved further away from the first layer of suburbs. In the Dallas-Fort Worth area, older malls like Valley View and Red Bird are essentially dead. Malls and open air shopping areas in more distant suburbs like Frisco and Flower Mound are doing well.

[MrB]

Pretty much what we see here, as well.

Enclosed retail establishments (conehead ref) are dying, but the open air places are doing OK.

Probably key to this is less shoplifting.