Our local mall is practically deserted.
Just ten years ago it was a crowded, full of customers and vendors place and couldn’t find a decent parking spot.
Sears is gone, Penny’s is gone, Eagle Outfitters is gone, Food court is gone, many others just closed and are gone.
One quarter of the mall was demolished and condos were built in its place. Local talk is that the rest will be shuttered and a more condos to be built.
Brick and mortar retail depended a lot on people who “shop” as a recreational activity.
This habitual activity has been broken over the last 2.5 years.
The mall generation is dying off, the days of women going to mall and spending bank on trinkets and crap they don’t need is gone.
Economy is different, inflation is making this type spending harder
Everything is online and is generally cheaper and super convenient (next day or two day shipping) without a trip to the mall
Mall shooters, viruses, thefts, rapes, etc going at malls these days makes malls unsafe to their target demographic
Feral teens roaming the place, they buy nothing and bring their attitudes, crime and rudeness to chase away the few customers who do show up