I’ve seen a lot of youtube videos regarding abandoned or virtually abandoned malls.
I lost interest in shopping at malls back at the end of the 20th century. I also became a costco member in 1988, which really started the whole process. I used malls to get walking exercise in the winter and maybe get coffee at one of the coffeeshops. But I stopped buying stuff there a very long time ago. With the internet and amazon now, I don’t understand why people even still use them.
Just to be clear, I stopped using them early on because I saw them as the most expensive place to get stuff. FWIW, I worked at the Bellevue Square mall selling hi-fi and video in the early 80’s before I got into IT. I never bought anything there then either (except coffee).
I loved malls. They were efficient. Literally one-stop shopping — and eating and being entertained. Malls at Christmas were beautifully decorated.