BETA
Chapter 1
The socialist dream of the mall
Chapter 2
The golden age of suburban culture
Chapter 3
The great retail apocalypse
Chapter 4
The strange modern rebirth
YOUR GOAL
Master of The American mall story
Ch 2 · The golden age of suburban culture
marcus American Mall Golden Age
(Lead) "In suburbia's prime," (Response) "Oh-oh, what a time!" (Lead) "The mall was the heart," (Response) "Yeah, a brand new start!"
marcus From the smell of freshly baked cookies to neon lights, malls engineered every sensory detail to encourage spending.
marcus During the 1980s, malls became the primary social hubs for teenagers, giving birth to a distinct youth subculture.
Fun Fact
Food court origins: The first successful mall food court was created in 1974 to keep shoppers inside the building during lunchtime.
Glossary
shopping mall (noun)
A large, enclosed retail complex containing a variety of stores and restaurants connected by pedestrian walkways. Minnesota’s Southdale Center pioneered this climate-controlled design in 1956, anchoring the postwar suburban social boom.
A large, enclosed retail complex containing a variety of stores and restaurants connected by pedestrian walkways. Minnesota’s Southdale Center pioneered this climate-controlled design in 1956, anchoring the postwar suburban social boom.
Quiz
Which landmark 1982 teen movie heavily featured mall culture as its central setting?
Quiz
What was the primary psychological purpose of mall fountains in the 1970s and 1980s?
Quiz
What type of store typically anchored the ends of classic American malls to draw foot traffic?