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What are Shopping Malls?

By K T Solis
Updated: May 16, 2024
Views: 64,362
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A shopping mall is a building or group of buildings that contains stores. The stores are connected by walkways so that consumers can easily walk between the stores. Malls can be built in an enclosed or open-air format.

The Grand Bazaar in Istanbul is an early shopping mall dating from the 15th century. In 1819, London opened a shopping center called the Burlington Arcade. Milan, Italy built a shopping center in the 1860s called the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II.

In the United States, people began moving to the suburbs during the 20th century. Shopping malls were built to serve consumers living in areas outside of the cities. By 1916, one called The Market Square, which was made up of 28 stores, apartments, and offices, opened for business in Chicago, IL. The facility was located in the expensive Lake Forest suburb and is thought to be one of the first planned shopping centers in the U.S.

In 1950, the Northgate Shopping Center was built in Seattle, Washington. This mall boasted two rows of stores on each side of an open-air section where shoppers could walk. Two department stores anchored each end of the shopping center. The first enclosed mall was Southdale Center in Edina, Minnesota, which opened its doors in 1956.

Up until the mid 1990s, most modern-day developers built enclosed shopping malls in order to create a climate-controlled shopping environment, but more developers are returning to the creation of open-air malls. Outlet malls, shopping centers featuring name brand retailers selling their products at discounted prices, are often built in an open-air format.

Malls can be located everywhere throughout the world and are travel destinations for tourists who love to shop. A typical one houses department stores, boutiques, movie theaters, photography studios, and other specialty stores. Some, like the Minnesota Mall of America, even house amusement parks within their walls.

Other features of a shopping mall include kiosks, food courts, and arcades. Kiosks are booths located in pedestrian areas of the mall where small products or services are sold. Food courts are areas within the mall that contain fast-food restaurants and a seating area. Arcades are popular destinations for some teens because they are entertainment rooms where people can play coin-operated arcade games.

People like to visit malls because of the convenience of having so many stores and services in one location. Many people like the ample parking and the fact that there are plenty of stores and activities from which to choose. Whether a family needs to purchase eyeglasses, buy shoes, or have a family portrait taken, they can usually find what they need at one of the local malls.

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Discussion Comments
By GreenWeaver — On Oct 20, 2010

Subway11-I think that when a mall gets too big, I tend to stay away because it is overwhelming. There are certain stores that I like to shop like Pottery Barn, Crate and Barrel, Barnes and Noble, Borders, and any children’s store.

I like to get in and out as comfortably as possible. I don’t spend the whole day at the mall like some people do. I actually get bored, so you won’t catch me in an Aventura mall.

I prefer the mall at the Falls in Miami. It is an outdoor mall that offers great access to parking and the mall is one level. In addition, it has great restaurants like P.F. Changs.

Another nice mall is the mall at Merrick Park in Coral Gables. This is a very high end mall that offers restaurants from around the globe and provides couches and comfortable seating with huge cushions on every floor. This mall is three levels and it is an outdoor mall with a beautiful fountain in the middle.

By subway11 — On Oct 20, 2010

Latte31-I know the most famous shopping malls in the United States are the Mall of America in Bloomington Minnesota, the South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa California and Sawgrass Mills Mall in Sunrise, Florida.

These huge malls often have hotels all around them for tourists to stay. Aventura mall is also huge, but the problem with that mall is that the parking is not sufficient for the number of people that visit.

You often have to circle around to find a parking space and this is during non holidays. I can’t image what it would be like during the Christmas holidays.

By latte31 — On Oct 20, 2010

Icecream17-I love Sawgrass Mills Mall. It is really huge. My children love to go to Wannado City. It is an indoor theme park where kids get to try out various occupations.

The have costumes that they try on and they get some insights as to what the various careers are like.

They also get to collect money known as Wongas when they perform a job and they have to pay with Wongas when they cook or receive a service like having their nails done, or making pizza.

For example, in the Cookery, they dress up like a chef and bake chocolate chip cookies. In the fire station that wear the firemen gear and actually put out a mock fire. My kids love it.

By icecream17 — On Oct 20, 2010

Habura- I also like the outdoor malls unless it rains. I think retail shopping malls are fun to visit and the bigger the mall the better.

Some of the largest shopping malls include amusement rides, numerous restaurants and really are a one stop shopping location for your family’s entertainment. The top tem largest shopping malls in the United States are:

1. Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota is the largest mall in America.

2. South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa, California

3. King of Prussia Mall in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania

4. Sawgrass Mills Mall in Sunrise, Florida

5. Aventura Mall in Aventura, Florida.

6. The Galleria Mall in Houston, Texas.

7. Palisades Center Mall in West Nyack, New York.

8. Woodfield Mall in Schaumburg, Illinois

9. Tyson’s Corner Mall in Washington D.C.

10. Florida Mall in Orlando, Florida.

By habura — On Oct 20, 2009

There seems to be a growing trend for outdoor shopping malls. I don't know if I enjoy the fact that they are outdoors or it's just nice because they are different than the traditional shopping mall, but I prefer outdoor shopping malls over indoor, mega malls.

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