America’s dying shopping malls still showing faint signs of life

On a visit to the US last month, it was impossible not to notice how the retail experience has changed over the last ten years — specifically, the decline of the shopping mall, writes John Daly.

Once the world leader in maximising the spend within a dedicated all-weather environment, this American institution has undergone traumatic change in the last decade, wrestling with changing consumer trends.

Industry observers predict that a quarter of American malls will close over the next five years — more than 300 out of 1,100 that currently exist. Such has been the focus around the so-called ‘death spiral’ of this former cultural touchstone, epitaphs to its passing are now regular features in media business pages.