What was once a bustling community filled with clothes, food and people is now a desolate ghost town. Many people do not want to “shop ‘till they drop” and have instead dropped malls altogether. It may be the convenience of online shopping, or it could be the hassle of getting to the mall. At the end of the day, malls are dying, and many people have noticed.
Malls have been around for years, being a place for people of all ages to come, hang out and buy whatever their heart desires. Nowadays, many malls have lost customers because of the advent of the Internet, which unfortunately has led to many malls closing for good.
“With the advent of Amazon and I guess recently Temu, amazon especially has been the killer of shopping in person in general whether it be in malls or regular stores. Just because of how much easier and cheaper it is.” Christopher Kirkland (11) said.
One reason that some people stopped shopping at malls was because their favorite businesses shut down. The reasons behind businesses leaving malls are caused by a host of problems or conflicts, but one common reason is a loss of revenue. This means the business is not selling enough of their products, causing them to lose money.
“I just don’t generally find too much of what I like at malls,” Christopher Kirkland (11) said. “When I was a kid, I would go to malls mainly for … Gamestop and Build a Bear. [Now,] I feel if there is something I want at a mall, I can just find it at another store or online.”
So why did so many popular brands stop coming to certain malls like the Oak Court Mall? There are not many well-known shops like Vans or Hot Topic in this mall, and this deficiency may be due to the location being seen as dangerous. Quante Webb was found guilty of a 2021 shooting in the Oak Court Mall. Thus, these ideas of the Oak Court Mall being dangerous do have some validity to it.
“There’s been multiple shootings every year, and you don’t want to go [to the mall one] day and accidentally get shot up,” Karma Green (11) said.
Online shopping has the convenience of allowing a person to buy whatever they want, all from the comfort of their home. That ease is something that cannot be found in malls. However, many advantages of physical shopping, like trying out different clothing sizes, are something lost by shopping online. Regardless, online shopping has killed many malls.
“I just think online [shopping] is generally a lot easier, and you have a lot more options than when you are shopping [in malls],” Kirkland said. “Online, you can basically find anything to buy while you may have to go to several stores to find one specific thing you’re looking for. But, I think online shopping is the big killer of malls.”
Because the existence of malls is becoming endangered, a place for teens to interact with each other has been taken away. Historically, malls have been a place for teens to have each other’s company, but many, like the Oak Court Mall, have become empty with n o teens to enjoy its amenities.
“I really don’t care about the fate of malls, because they don’t do anything good for me,” Green said. “But you [would] miss going out with friends and having a good time shopping.”
Many malls like the Oak Court Mall have lost their essence; many popular businesses will avoid settling there as it is seen as dangerous, and many have reasons to quickly adjust their sails and head to another location rather than waiting at an inactive mall. Eventually, the Oak Court Mall may either close its doors for good, or another business will take over its land and make an effort to bring back the nostalgic feeling these malls once had.
“I don’t think malls are essential, but they’re cool. It would be kind of crazy if they left because they have been a staple in our lives. But also malls aren’t necessary.” Green said.