In Memory of Dead Malls: Why Some Died, Some Thrived, and What’s Next
“Dead Mall Collage” by Christine Stoddard.
My first memory of a mall—Richmond, Virginia’s Virginia Center Commons—was when I was three or four. I witnessed several mall cops chasing an alleged burglar. According to my parents, a man dashed down the hallway right beside us before being brutally tackled by two officers. All I personally remember was seeing the ground covered in blood, each splotch like sticky, wet, red paint.
But besides that, I have a lot more joyful memories associated with the mall.
One was visiting the Disney Store with my mom. It was always a highlight of our mall trips together. Walking into the store, resisting the urge to hop into the pile of stuffed animals they had available beneath the screen playing Disney films, and always leaving with a new trinket. I can’t imagine a time when it wasn’t busy.
But now, that same mall is now transformed into a fitness center. Before that? A shell with empty stalls and neglected fountains, pennies bathing in filthy water. It’s hardly the only one.
Meanwhile, the other mall I frequented during childhood—an outdoor mall with moderate to higher-end stores—is still thriving.
So…why is that?
Better yet, why is it happening to so many malls across the United States?
In What Americans Build and Why: Psychological Perspectives by Ann Sloan Devlin, the author notes there has not been any new traditional indoor malls built since 2006—nearly 20 years. The ones that remain are expected to shut down or be revitalized within the next 10 years.
While there is not one single factor that drove certain malls, particularly indoor ones, to obscurity, there is a clear trend: economic decline and the hardship it has had on business owners and many lower and middle class Americans, shifting how we all shop.
Photo by Christine Stoddard in Syracuse, New York.
A Quick History of Malls
Austrian-American architect Victor Gruen didn’t invent the concept of the mall, but he kicked off the concept of the enclosed indoor mall. In 1956, Gruen opened the Southdale Center in Edina, Minnesota.
But Gruen’s intention was for malls to be cultural, community hubs with the feel of a town, similar to Vienna. He saw modern suburbs greatly lacking the structure and support that the typical town included. He imagined a mixture of stores, schools, doctor’s offices, post offices, and other modern amenities. Instead, investors and planners removed opportunities that did not align with greater revenue, creating altars to materialism and the almighty dollar. By the end of his life, he openly abhorred what his vision had become.
Why Do Some Malls Thrive and Others Die?
Many people blame the convenience of online shopping or the death of community as the reasons why malls are not as popular as they once were. The truth is there is no one “right” answer to the question. Instead, it’s a culmination of many factors that led to so many malls’ downfalls…and most of them involve money (and lack thereof).
I asked experts—from urban planners to retail experts—as to why indoor malls in particular seemed to have collapsed and other malls have thrived.
Influencer Culture
Influencers dominate many of our purchasing decisions, from physical storefronts to e-commerce brands. Today’s consumer relies on influencers to point them in the direction of what will truly improve their life and is worth their money. In fact, Gen Z uses TikTok as their primary search engine, leaving Google and other social media behind in the dust.
However, this isn’t to say that malls are dying because of influencers. On the contrary—influencers drive people back into the mall. Simon Property Group, a real estate investment trust that invests heavily in shopping malls, launched a campaign in 2024 called “Meet Me @themall” that featured influencers such as Gym Tan, Dan Pelosi, and the Pittman Sisters. But that doesn’t mean that influencers are going back to every mall. While many influencers show off products in unboxing videos from their studio apartments, plenty of influencers also show off new goods on the go as well…and lighting is key.
Kaz Marzo, the Operations Director at Image Acquire, says that Instagrammable moments just don’t hit the same way in indoor malls the way outdoor malls do. “Natural light, architectural variety, and integration with landscaping create more appealing backdrops for social media sharing than fluorescent-lit corridors,” says Marzo.
That doesn’t mean that abandoned malls don’t have some sort of appeal. For visual storytellers, especially those who love forbidden, spooky aesthetics, dead malls provide a different kind of experience.
“[With] their eerie atriums and empty storefronts….dead malls have become almost mythical spaces for urban exploration photography,” says Marzo.
Unfortunately for dying and abandoned indoor malls, this doesn’t translate into cash.
Photo by Christine Stoddard in Syracuse, New York.
The E-Commerce Landscape
People no longer search for JUST single malls to seek out a variety of stores. Instead, shoppers want specific experiences and search for them based on what they’re seeking. They can find their answer at the click of a button thanks to online searches. What pops up directly benefits storefronts with easier consumer access.
“Outdoor centers generate 3-4x more local search traffic per square foot than enclosed malls,” said Dwight Zahringer, a retail marketing expert who has been in the field for 20 years.
For instance, if a consumer is looking for the best place to snag a pedicure in their area, search engines will deliver the top results based on which services are closest to their location and best serve their needs. Gone are the days where people could rely on radio advertisements and the phone book to look up where they would like to go.
A store’s marketing strategy also fits into this—while individual storefronts renting out singular buildings in more flexible outdoor spaces, many of the storefronts in indoor malls failed to adapt their strategy to changing times. Indoor storefronts also require people to walk further into a building rather than being able to park in front of it, go in, and leave…saving both time and money for many people with a time and budget crunch.
On top of that, TikTok has been Google’s rival in search engine capabilities, especially for Gen Z. TikTok’s ability to search for creators and products using keywords, location, and other factors drives many to use it to find relevant content. In fact, video-based content is what drives many customers straight to a business. If a business isn’t on TikTok, there’s a chance that simple Instagram or Facebook posts alone won’t make the cut.
Photo by Christine Stoddard in Watertown, New York.
Increased Overhead Expenses and Rigid Leases
Follow the money. In this case, follow it to less expensive options. Imagine instead of signing a lease yearly, you had to sign one for 18 months…or more. For smaller businesses, these were death sentences.
“[Small retailers] entered into 18-month contracts and were required to spend between $15,000 and $25,000 to fill up their retail location,” said James Myers, Sales Director of VINEVIDA. “The 2015-2019 drop of nearly 40% in customers visits left owners without a way to sell the products and leases that they could not break. The requirement of 200 shoppers a day and the inflow of 80 proved to be a disaster.”
For companies wanting physical storefronts, choosing a shopping center or an outdoor mall with less restrictions, including seasonal opportunities (think Spirit Halloween). Besides, no one wants to put their cash into strict leases in buildings that barely get foot traffic. Pair that with the loss of many “anchor” department stores (think Macy’s, Dillard’s, Nordstrom, etc.) that used to drive a lot of this traffic have been shutting down and moving out, leaving consumers with less options and less reasons to head to the mall in the first place. Perhaps it’s more accurate to say that department stores are dying right beside the malls themselves. Last year, Macy’s announced the closure of 150 of its stores, or 30% of its storefronts. The department stores that once ruled the mall are disappearing from our world, taking potential customers with it.
The Decline of the American Middle Class
Dollars don’t stretch as far as they used to, especially anyone middle class or below. In fact, the Pew Research Center determined between 1971 and 2023, the percentage of middle class Americans has fallen from 61% to 51%.
Of course, in areas where the median income is higher, malls still survive. Virginia’s Short Pump Town Center, an outdoor mall that stays busy, is located in the Short Pump area, where households have a median income of $130,000. This is higher than the median household income of Virginia, which sits around $90,000. The area where Virginia Center Commons once sat has a median income of $96,000.
It’s clear to say that wealthier Americans can afford to spend extra income (and have the extra income to spend). Meanwhile, 27% of Americans employed in working class jobs now don’t just do a side job for extra spending cash—they need it to pay their everyday bills or to add to their savings they couldn’t do otherwise with a nine to five job alone. According to Bankrate, 35% of Americans with side hustles use it for regular living expenses, 28% to boost their savings, and 20% to pay down consumer or student loan debt. The majority of those with a side hustle are Gen Z with a staggering 34%, followed by millennials at 31%. A little over 20% are Gen X and Boomers.
With Americans having less time and money to spend on material things and experiences, more people are opting in for free or low-cost options…or simply don’t have time for them at all. Convenience is key in an economy where there is very little wiggle room.
Photo by Christine Stoddard in Sacramento, California.
What’s Next for Dead Malls?
Ironically, Gruen would probably be thrilled that many malls are dying off. But I imagine he would be equally as happy to see what former malls are becoming for many communities: an opportunity for bringing people together in a new way.
Virginia Center Commons is no more, but has turned into the Henrico Sports & Events Center, a place where graduations, concerts, and sports events in the area are held. The facility opened in 2023 and has since hosted the Atlantic Volleyball Tournament, the Sips and Strings Concert, and the Atlantic 10 Women’s Basketball Tournament. They regularly host youth sports events and have a full calendar of upcoming community events like craft shows and holiday events. According to the website, Henrico Sports & Events Center is projected to earn $60 million per year in revenue.
Plenty of old malls stand as-is, but with a twist. Many former stores have been transformed into artist’s studios, cooking spaces, and markets for small creators as well.
“Many forward-thinking developers are now integrating art installations, performance spaces, and community programming into retail environments,” said Carla Pornelos of Wardnasse, an arts education organization dedicated to igniting passion about art. “This isn’t just decoration – it’s recognition that successful spaces must serve as cultural gathering points, not just transaction centers.”
Zero Empty Spaces is an initiative that works with property managers to fill empty storefronts until a long-term tenant can be found. In the meantime, creators of all kinds can affordably work on their creations and present them to the community… all while occupying once barren spaces.
For the rest of the malls, many sit abandoned with no plans to revitalize them any time soon. That gives plenty of inspiration to creatives looking for their next creepy setting or project. In fact, the HuffPost’s Seph Lawless is known for his documentation of dead malls across the country. Lawless captures the state of malls through haunting lighting that highlights its grotesque state, looking more like The Last of Us than a setting of any 80s, 90s, or early 2000s show.
Whatever the case, malls will never be what they used to be. Instead, it seems that we will replace them with a new kind of community, hopefully the one Gruen imagined all of those years ago. For me, stumbling across a formerly flourishing mall near my urologist’s office brought me a bit of hope.
As I passed through the hauntingly empty Saks Fifth Avenue, I felt watched by hawks. I suppose there was no one else to watch. I declined help at least 5 times. Nothing much improved inside of the Tiffany & Co. where it was almost the opposite; no one asked if I needed help, but hovered around me. I lost interest in name brand stores and found myself in an art gallery with 10 studios and plenty of items to purchase. One person manned the store, and unlike the other two stores, welcomed me in without pressure or the feeling of being monitored by Big Brother.
We chatted for a bit about what Stony Point, the mall in question, used to be: Richmond’s destination for luxury stores. Those days are gone, but he told me what replaced so many of those vacant spots again: a food co-op, a locally owned bakery, and of course, the art studio we stood in.
In short, it looks like a good start to Gruen’s real vision.
Works Cited
- Devlin, Ann Sloan. What Americans Build and Why: Psychological Perspectives. Cambridge University Press, 2010, pp. 254.
- Hughes, Dan. “Is TikTok Becoming a Search Engine?” Digital Marketing Institute, 1 Apr. 2024, https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/is-tiktok-a-search-engine.
- III, Nate Delesline. “Simon Taps Influencers to Draw Gen Z to the Mall.” Retail Dive, Oct. 2024, www.retaildive.com/news/simon-gen-z-meet-me-at-the-mall-ad-campaign/728502/.
- Kochhar, Rakesh. “The State of the American Middle Class.” Pew Research Center, 31 May 2024, www.pewresearch.org/race-and-ethnicity/2024/05/31/the-state-of-the-american-middle-class/.
- Lessing, Marlese. “Roughly One in Four American Adults Have a Side Hustle. Here’s Why That Number Might Change Soon.” Bankrate, Bankrate.com, 7 July 2025, www.bankrate.com/loans/small-business/side-hustles-survey/.
- Meyersohn, Nathaniel. “Macy’s Is Closing 150 Stores as Part of a Major Turnaround Effort | CNN Business.” CNN, 27 Feb. 2024, www.cnn.com/2024/02/27/investing/macys-closing-150-stores/index.html.
A Post-Mortem Mall
By Ghia Vitale
You can have nothing or have it all
when you wander through a desolate mall
where shadows and ghosts exceed the lives
and money upon which mall business thrives.
The hollowness of a vacant store
haunts the languid length of each corridor.
As the stock dwindled, customers left
someone’s hopes and dreams alone and bereft.
One store sold rainbows, one store sold spikes.
One store sold both with sick band shirts and pikes.
Other stores sold perfumes and name brands.
None of them satisfied the mall’s demands.
Dismembered mannequins resurrect
memories of a world that seemed perfect.
Now, you see what humanity dreads
in the eyes of severed mannequin heads.
Illustration by Christine Stoddard.
Order in the collapsing food court.
Consume an abundance of no import.
Behind walls bound with construction tape –
a vintage fast food chain in perfect shape.
Is the mall dead or is it reborn
in the wake of a society torn?
We’ll never know a mall’s most prized gem
until we visit that mall post-mortem.
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