Are malls dying or evolving?

Malls aren't dying but are undergoing a significant evolution, shifting from pure retail centers to mixed-use destinations that blend shopping with entertainment, dining, residential, and community spaces, driven by online competition and changing consumer habits. While some traditional malls struggle, successful ones are adapting by adding experiences like fitness centers, art venues, microbreweries, and housing, while attracting unique tenants beyond typical department stores.

Are malls a dying industry?

American malls have been riddled with challenges over the last decade — from the death of big box stores like Sears and JCPenney, to new and hyper-online shopping habits forged by the pandemic. Today, there are fewer than 1,000 malls remaining in the country, down from 1,200 in 2015.

What will replace malls in the future?

Malls are evolving into mixed-use "20-minute communities" with housing, offices, and entertainment, or becoming experiential centers with unique dining, wellness, and interactive retail, moving away from just traditional stores to become vibrant live-work-play destinations, often featuring outdoor spaces and integrating online and offline experiences. Key replacements include apartments, health/fitness centers, entertainment venues, and government services, leveraging the prime locations of old malls.
 

Is Gen Z bringing back malls?

Yes, Gen Z is helping bring malls back by transforming them from pure shopping centers into social hubs, valuing experiences, instant gratification, and tangible interaction over just online buying, seeking physical spaces for community and connection, and forcing malls to evolve with entertainment, unique dining, and Instagrammable spots. This digital-native generation craves physical places to meet friends, hang out, and create memories, seeing malls as modern-day town squares.
 

What is the future of malls in America?

Beyond housing, another key strategy is transforming empty spaces into entertainment and leisure hubs. Today, some malls feature amenities such as recreational activity venues, escape rooms, art galleries, microbreweries, and immersive experience spaces.

Why US Malls Are Dying (And Why European Malls Aren't)

Will malls exist in 10 years?

No new indoor malls have been built since 2006, and 15 percent of malls are expected to close their stores in the next 10 years; some will shut down entirely and others will be repurposed. Transforming mall spaces is a challenge, according to Brian Sciera of W.S. Development.

Does Gen Z go to the mall?

Yes, Gen Z is returning to malls, but they're going for an experience—socializing, dining, and entertainment—more than just buying things, transforming malls into modern-day town squares where commerce meets connection. They enjoy the instant gratification of trying on items and the ability to see and touch products, mixing digital discovery with physical interaction to find unique brands and create memories. 

How much longer will malls last?

According to Capital One Research, there are about 1,200 malls remaining in the U.S. as of April 2025, but only around 900 are projected to still be in operation by 2028. Even more alarming, the same research projects that nearly 87% of large shopping malls may shut down within the next decade.

What stores are going out of business in 2026?

In 2026, several major retailers, including Macy's, GameStop, Kroger, Yankee Candle, Orvis, and Noodles & Company, are closing stores due to ongoing shifts to e-commerce, focusing on underperforming locations, and adapting to changing consumer habits, with specific examples like Macy's closing 150 stores and GameStop shuttering hundreds, alongside potential closures for chains like REI and Jack in the Box.
 

What will happen to old malls?

Across the United States, many shopping malls—once bustling symbols of suburban life—have been left empty due to shifting retail trends and online shopping. Rather than letting these massive buildings decay, a new wave of innovation is transforming them into indoor urban farms.

What stores will not make it through 2025?

Here are the retailers who announced store closures in 2025

• Kohl's. ...
• Big Lots. ...
• Macy's. ...
• Dollar General. ...
• Joann. ...
• JCPenney. ...
• Hooters. ...
• Red Robin.

Will stores become obsolete?

Stores remain the dominant channel

E-commerce is growing but consumers still want to go shopping. Although the overall percentage of offline retail spend is expected to decline from 77% in 2025 to 73% in 2028, there is still a long way to go before e-commerce overtakes physical sales.

Will malls ever recover?

Mall traffic continues to improve

Mall traffic compared with 2019. Traffic at the nation's open air shopping centers has recovered from the pandemic. Outlets and indoor malls have a ways to go but keep improving.

Are there abandoned malls in the US?

Seph Lawless' work has become synonymous with dead abandoned shopping malls across America. Lawless is globally recognized as the person that started the abandoned mall phenomenon years ago. The Huffington Post photojournalist has traveled all over America capturing these abandoned malls.

What is replacing shopping malls?

Malls are evolving into mixed-use "20-minute communities" with housing, offices, and entertainment, or becoming experiential centers with unique dining, wellness, and interactive retail, moving away from just traditional stores to become vibrant live-work-play destinations, often featuring outdoor spaces and integrating online and offline experiences. Key replacements include apartments, health/fitness centers, entertainment venues, and government services, leveraging the prime locations of old malls.
 

What do Gen Z use instead of 😂?

Gen Z uses the 💀 (Skull) emoji to mean "I'm dead" from laughter, the 😭 (Loudly Crying Face) for intense humor or emotion, and sometimes the 🤡 (Clown Face) for foolishness, while finding the 😂 emoji outdated or "cheugy," often preferring these more dramatic or layered expressions of extreme amusement. 

Is Donald Trump a boomer or silent generation?

Donald Trump is a Baby Boomer, born on June 14, 1946, making him one of the earliest members of that generation, which typically spans 1946-1964, placing him right at the beginning of the Baby Boom era. He is not part of the Silent Generation (born roughly 1925-1945). 

What year will Gen Z be gone?

Generation Z (Gen Z) refers to the generation born from 1997 to 2012. Gen Z is bracketed between Millennials (born from 1981 to 1996) and Generation Alpha. The oldest members of Gen Z are starting their post-education years with careers and possibly families. The youngest Gen Zers are just 13 years old in 2025.

Will malls be around in 10 years?

However, over the past couple of years, they have been facing a steep decline in popularity. Between 2017 and 2022, an average of 1,170 shopping malls closed each year. If this trend continues, up to 87% of malls in the U.S. could be shut down over the next 10 years.

Are malls coming back in 2025?

Yes, malls are experiencing a significant comeback in 2025, driven by evolving consumer habits, a focus on unique experiences (like wellness and entertainment), and strategic adaptations, though this revival favors well-managed, updated centers rather than struggling Class B/C malls, with some still facing closures. Foot traffic has surged, younger generations like Gen Z are leading the charge, and digital brands are opening physical stores, creating vibrant social and retail hubs, with open-air malls exceeding pre-pandemic levels and indoor malls nearing them.
 

What will retail look like in 2050?

Virtual reality (VR) will revolutionize e-commerce by 2050. Shoppers will be able to enter fully immersive virtual stores from the comfort of their homes. These virtual environments will replicate the experience of walking through a physical store, complete with virtual aisles and interactive displays.

Why don't people hang out at the mall anymore?

“We see restaurants as the next generation hang out for teens.” The establishment of curfews and the imposition of heavy-handed mall cops have also contributed to the decline in mall culture, according to the report, alongside the well documented rise in e-commerce.

What is Gen Zs biggest issue?

The biggest problems facing Gen Z aren't singular but a cluster of interconnected issues, primarily a severe mental health crisis (anxiety, depression) fueled by social media, financial/career uncertainty (housing costs, job market), and global crises (climate change, pandemics), leading to lower resilience, delayed adulthood, and feelings of hopelessness or being "stuck". They struggle with instant gratification, decision paralysis, and developing coping mechanisms due to overprotective parenting and constant digital comparison, making the transition to adulthood difficult. 

Is it correct to say Gen Zers?

Yes, "Gen Zers" (or "Gen Z-ers") is a correct and common way to refer to members of Generation Z, alongside other informal terms like "Zoomers," though formal writing might use "members of Generation Z" or "people in Gen Z". It follows the pattern of "Gen Xers" or "Millennials" and is used in dictionaries and by publications like Psychology Today and McKinsey.