As someone who works in a mall, the death of malls in general is overplayed. Some malls, yes. Some areas are overmalled, and some areas have outgrown the malls they have. But believe it or not, you can't buy everything online. And sometimes you need something now, and even Amazon free overnight shipping might not get there in time. A lot of expensive designer stores either don't sell online, or don't sell the entire line online.
Every time I go to Scottsdale, I am amazed at the number of bustling strip malls (really more upscale than 'strip', but not a 'regular' mall either), with busy parking lots and a constant flow of people. The key is the mix: coffee place, fast casual restaurants, nicer restaurants, a grocery store, several stores and maybe a licensed workout place/yoga/pilates.
And as a Minnesotan who goes to the Mall of America several times a year, I enjoy the experience of having all the stores under one roof, getting a ton of steps in, and just being around a group of people who want to be somewhere, even if I don't know them.
As someone who works in a mall, the death of malls in general is overplayed. Some malls, yes. Some areas are overmalled, and some areas have outgrown the malls they have. But believe it or not, you can't buy everything online. And sometimes you need something now, and even Amazon free overnight shipping might not get there in time. A lot of expensive designer stores either don't sell online, or don't sell the entire line online.
Every time I go to Scottsdale, I am amazed at the number of bustling strip malls (really more upscale than 'strip', but not a 'regular' mall either), with busy parking lots and a constant flow of people. The key is the mix: coffee place, fast casual restaurants, nicer restaurants, a grocery store, several stores and maybe a licensed workout place/yoga/pilates.
And as a Minnesotan who goes to the Mall of America several times a year, I enjoy the experience of having all the stores under one roof, getting a ton of steps in, and just being around a group of people who want to be somewhere, even if I don't know them.
I can smell that picture of Hickory Farms