Similar declines have been playing out for years But the pandemic accelerated challenges More than ever, American malls The plight of malls is significant Many people have a deep nostalgia for their local mall — |
I Love The Smell of Commerce in the Morning!
Earlier this year,
I received a flurry of text messages
from my sister, who was at
a going-out-of-business sale
at the local Macy’s.
I was floored — not by the deals,
but because my childhood mall,
in Orlando, Florida,
was losing another big-box store.
Sears exited a decade ago,
and the mall has steadily lost tenants
like the Gap, Abercrombie & Fitch, The Disney Store.
My teenage self would barely recognize the place today.