S/O Why are malls dying?

Because you have to drive there.
Because you have to park.
Because you have to deal with people.
Because there's not always a chance the store will have the item in the size you need.
Because there are lines.


And most of all, I can shop for just about everything I could buy in a mall on my couch and have it delivered in two days. The convenience of Amazon trumps going to the mall 100% of the time for me. Why spend the time, gas, aggravation of dealing with the general public when I could do it from home? Shopping on amazon has also greatly cut down on my impulse buying, I get what I need and go to my cart instead of adding a bunch of things as I walk around the store.

Yes, my local mall even added an outdoor section they call the "lifestyle plaza" ... but nowadays we are seeing way more of those outdoor malls then the traditional multi level with anchor stores.

I do work in a mall - my restaurant is an anchor restaurant - and the parking there is so horrendous that we lose a lot of guests that way. Especially during the holidays. I'd rather poke my eye out with a spoon then try to park in that mall. 

I'm with the previous poster - if I can order it in my PJ's and avoid people, the internet wins over a trip to the mall!

Ive noticed that their inventory is a lot less than it used to be and in store prices seem to be much higher than online. I was looking at books the other day and its cheaper if I order online vs picking up in store. Which makes no sense to me. Lane Bryant is another example we noticed yesterday. Their sale prices are still way higher than I would pay for their clothing. Their sales aren't really sales either and the selection is very limited. When I go online, I find more. I think many stores are relying more and more on online purchases. Less overhead to content with, probably less employees to pay and provide benefits to.

The malls here that are doing well include some of the bigger tech stores and flashy stores. Apple, Lego, Barnes and Noble etc. They have lots of restaurants and little boutiques around the mall. I feel like I can one stop shop there. The mall closest to me doesn't have any of those things. They have a used game/book/movie store, a movie theater but Ive noticed more and more store fronts disappearing from them and not being filled. the other mall doesn't have empty spaces. I feel like I can only go to the closest mall for one or two things and then have to chase down the others. Id rather drive the 45 min to the bigger mall and get them all done in one place.

Online shopping is readily available, and you can often get great deals with or without a coupon. You may not be able to get the same deal in an actual store.

I think it's several things all working together. Here are the top 4 reasons why I spend far, far less time in a mall these days than I did 20-30 years ago.

#1. It's the big box stores like Walmart & Target. You can buy everything there. I don't like Walmart, but I love Target.

#2. Other large free-standing specialty stores---Toys R Us, Barnes & Noble, etc., that have taken the place of the small book, music, & toy stores in malls. I see many malls these days which are 95% or more just clothing, shoes, jewelry, & accessories. I just don't need that much of that stuff. I don't want that much of that stuff. I miss the other stores. And other people seem to miss them to, because when I do go to the mall, I notice that it's the non-clothing stores that seem to always have the biggest crowds.

#3. There are just too many malls. People drive everywhere these days. Many of us are driving further and further to get to work & school. So it's no big deal for us to drive a little further to go to a different mall. So now, instead of having one mall closest to us that we'd go to in the past, we have maybe 3 or 4 that we feel are an acceptable driving distance. BUT, there are so many repeat stores in these malls, that the stores become boring to us. And then the entire mall seems to become boring.

#4. Shopping online. in the past, I did still go to the mall at Christmas time, but now, this year, I bought things online and avoided the traffic annoyances of the mall area. I did wind up at the mall once to exchange something I purchased online from Old navy, but that was it.

Those are the top 4 reasons that I rarely go to any malls these days. But I am sure that there are plenty of other reasons as well.

I agree.  Except for days with the most miserable of weather (in which case I would just stay home), I;d much rather be able to go outside in between stores and get a breath of fresh air and some sun.

I know many malls have started adding or being built with plenty of sky lights, but overall, they still seem so dark and stuffy to me.  I like to go outdoors in between shopping.

Plus, many of the larger stores in the shopping centers tend to have carts.  And that's another reason I've moved away from the mall over the years.  It's much easier to hold jackets, diaper bags, and multiple kids all together in a cart than even the largest of strollers.  And the cart is typically easier to maneuver as well.  Plus, then I have someplace to put my purchases.

So having an easier place to shop with kids would be one more reason for me. 
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I was looking for towels, and went into 4 stores at our mall, Dillards, Belks, Pennys and Macys. None of the stores had the color I wanted. There was not much to chose from style or color wise. Came home, went online and was found exactly what I wanted. The B&M stores just do not have the selection you can get online.

For me it is because there are same freaking stores over and over again: women's clothing, shoes, jewelry, technology stores.  That is 90% of our local mall.

What you are describing sounds more like a strip mall type shopping center. Those are popular here.

But different than the town square areas that are really popular.

For example, ours is a large, sprawling area that has things like The Cheesecake Factory, a nice movie theatre, a mix of independent stores like toy stores and mid-upscale boutiques like Kendra Scott and Vera Bradley and Sephora. Tons of restaurants, tons of stores, plus the city buildings like the library, all situated amongst trees and around a big pond with ducks as gazebos. Then the city puts on festivals, concerts, fireworks, art shows.

It's like a nice mall, but outside, combined with community functions like the library and courthouse, with a big green area as well

That ^^

I live near a beautiful outdoor mall, and I go there often, but not usually to buy merchandise! There are a couple excellent healthy restaurants there that my husband and I enjoy. And, I have to go there to return my online purchases that don't fit. I do almost all my clothes shopping and holiday gift buying online.

I am not surprised. Here in the Dallas area it seemed like there was a mall every few miles and they all had the same stores, or nearly the same. And all the merchandise was the same. I always wondered how our local economy could support all of those malls/stores. We can't and many are closing. The ones that are surviving are keeping the store mix different, and making it back into an experience. and then there is on line shopping.

however, I admit to shopping on line a lot more, and going to the mall less, and looking at places other than the mall for unique items.

Personally I do most of my shopping at kohls, penneys, and Walmart. Malls are too much trouble.

The closest mall to us is about 40 min. away (lots of lights) so we don't go very often. Also, the mall stores are pretty expensive, we stick to Target and Kohl's (and American Eagle in a strip mall a mile away).

But we don't order online, we always shop. I have to try on things. But I am too cheap to pay shipping, and if I got the wrong size, it's inconvenient for me to go to the post office all the time to mail things back. We have great stores near us, Target, Kohl's, almost every store we need. So it's not expensive buying gas for shopping.