General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: The Mall Is Dead, And It's Taking Sbarro With It [View all]wercal
(1,370 posts)It had some of the mainstays, like a small arcade.
The movie theater moved out five years ago. The music store is now a fancy kitchen accessory store.
New additions included a 'ride' on a bungee contraption, and an entire shop where kids could do space bounce and other activities.
The new normal - accessory shops. Kids can't afford thirty dlar jeans, but they will pay five dollars for a hair tie or necklace. This stuff is so cheap, the profit margins have to be huge. Its stuff nobody really needs...and it probably doesn't last very long...but this cheap crap is the engine tbat drives the mall.
Sbarro - very overpriced in my opinion. Their price for pizza is 'theme park' high. I've tried their stromboli several times - usually very dried out after an entire afternoon under the heat lamp.
There are small signs of decline. One of the food court slots is now a massive vending machine for beauty products. Another is now just a giant advertising board for an insurance company. There has been turnover with the anchor stores...and one of the three is currently empty.
The mall will go on I think. The concept will be adjusted, but I don't see them going away. We have a 'dead mall', but thats only because the population of the area is shifting location. Most dead malls have an accompanying live mall on the other side of town.