“the mall model was dead.”
Actually, it’s not simply on-line shopping, or all brick&mortar shops would be dead.
It’s because starting about 20 years ago people finally figured out that indoor malls (that is default what “mall” means now) are a PITA if all you want is a single thing. No one wants to park far outside, walk all the way into the center, just for one thing.
So now we’re swinging to easy-access stand-alone or (old) shopping center/strip mall mode again. Some are even replicating old towns with park-in-front (street) parking.
It’s the ease with which one can access for different purposes. As my husband says, malls are turning into apparel-only shopping OT1H, and “empty” OTOH. Nothing interesting in there anymore if you don’t want shoes or clothes.
Good points; interesting you should mention shoes/clothes - probably the only things I wouldn’t buy online.