The world is constantly evolving. Malls should too if they want to survive. Malls have been a major part of American culture for decades. They were utilized by cities and small towns as a place for community engagement. But the malls recently have started to fade. With technological and cultural advancements changing the way we meet up and shop, a traditional mall is failing to serve its initial purpose. Some currently believe that malls are doomed to fail. While they very well could, there is hope if malls are willing to adapt to serve the needs of the younger generations.
Who goes to the mall?
When malls became a staple to communities across America, they had no competition. If you wanted a place to go out with friends to chill and/or shop, that was it. There was no Starbucks to meet up at or Amazon to shop on. Not only that, but malls also did their job extremely well. People would spend hours shopping and spending time with friends. While malls are still popular in some areas today, they have fallen from a necessity due to all of the options that the people today have to choose from. Why go meet up in a bland food court when you can go to a Starbucks? Why go to a store to buy a product from them when you can just order it at home from their website? Like many industries, technology has outpaced their purpose.
Change of purpose
As more and more traditional malls become abandoned, a new class of mall is rising. A type of Mall that fulfills the wants of today. People are not looking for a place to conveniently shop. We are looking for a place to give us a fresh and unique experience, something you can’t get online. People want to go to a place that has a style and sets it apart from the rest. The new-age malls are becoming the downtown, hosting more than just shops and a food court. Malls now have gyms, concert venues and even places to live. They also are transforming their look from white-block, indoor buildings to open and colorful designs to enhance the guest experience. The malls of tomorrow are updating their shopping areas to benefit their visitors with technology. Having a screen informing guests what areas of a parking garage are open is a small gesture that can go a long way for customer satisfaction. The new class of malls care about the experience being given to their guests outside of shopping.
Takeaway
The malls we grew up on are dying, but a better product is now rising. These new-age malls provide experiences you could never obtain before while feeding the desire for community engagement. At these malls, you cannot only shop but you also can go to events, work out, live and enjoy the environment. Instead of trying to compete with the internet, malls that are surviving are focusing on providing experiences. As someone who is just starting out their career in the workforce, it’s important to look at the company you’re in and ask yourself if your company is trying to adapt to serve the people of today or are they not willing to change and are becoming an abandoned mall.
Have something to add to this story? Comment below or join the discussion on Facebook.
Header image: ShutterStock
