The socialist dream of the mall
The golden age of suburban culture
The great retail apocalypse
The strange modern rebirth
YOUR GOAL
Master of The American mall story
marcus Photographers and urban explorers created a massive online subculture dedicated to documenting abandoned, decaying shopping centers.
marcus The launch of Amazon and e-commerce platforms in the late 1990s permanently shifted consumer habits away from physical stores.
marcus Build your plaza to discover how American malls rose, fell, and found new life.
Dead mall tourism: Millions of people watch YouTube videos of dead malls, a genre of online content dedicated to exploring abandoned retail ruins.
The widespread, rapid closure of physical retail stores, particularly brick-and-mortar chains, often driven by online competition. During 2017, the crisis forced the closure of over nine thousand American retail stores, including Sears.
What term is commonly used to describe the widespread decline of physical retail stores starting in the 2010s?
Which country has the highest amount of retail space per person, contributing to the mall decline?
Which major economic downturn in 2008 accelerated the permanent closure of dozens of American malls?
Which major online retailer, founded in 1994, is most associated with the shift away from mall shopping?
What environmental issue often plagues abandoned malls due to shutoff climate control systems?