In case you haven’t noticed, big-box department stores aren’t actually in vogue nowadays and the malls in which they inhabit are feeling some pain. The British newspaper Daily Mail recently had a story entitled “Change or Die” about America’s malls and their evolving clientele. Basically these “climate-controlled beacons to American consumerism,” as they Daily Mail calls them, are part of a huge industry-wide transformation that may or may not allow them to survive. The bottom line; can they save consumers money while still giving them the experience.
The arrival of e-commerce and greater price transparency means malls must compete not only with Amazon for more cost-conscious customers, but with discount chains.
“You’re seeing a whole movement towards any way you can save the customer money, that’s going to make you more viable with the customer…Without high traffic levels, the malls die.” Said Fred Hurvitz, professor in retail studies at Penn State University’s Smeal College of Business.
Click here to read the full story on the Daily Mail.
