The Mall Through Time

Southdale Centre

• Southdale Shopping Centre was the first commonplace mall

• It was opened in 1956, in Edina, Minnesota

•It was created so people could shop without enduring the drastic weather conditions

Southdale Centre

As times changes and society has different means of getting what they need, malls need to grow and change to remain current.

•Bakeries, delis, and flower shops attracted customers to the mall

• Other techniques such as including fast pace technology and a thorough structural layout draws more customers

• Malls were first created to bring a sense of community

• It attracted customers of all ages, ex. young children & elders

• Adults usually met up with old friends to catch up

• Elders usually got light exercise while walking through the mall

• Typically, it was teenagers who gathered to spend time with friends

• Malls were designed to create a unique atmosphere

• Malls were laid out in a “U” shape with earthy tones and dim lighting

• In 1956, Southdale Mall was opened and malls from then on took a box shape, usually with a courtyard in the middle

• There were usually two main department stores and many small stores

• Flights of stairs were incorporated in malls because of the amount of stores, thus needing two levels

•Many of the first malls created did not include technology •There were no elevators or escalators

• Debit machines were not created

• Cash registers were manual and tedious to use

• Businesses were very limited to their resources

Malls of the PRESENTMalls of the PRESENT

•The are different reasons people attended the mall in the past and the present

• There are less social aspects and more prominent shoppers

• There are more fast food eating services than sit-down restaurants

• Teenagers still utilize the mall as a main area to spend time with friends

• Parents have the choice to drop their children off at daycare

•Elders are rarely seen at the mall

• Mall structures have changed

• The most common lay-out of a mall is the cross (X)

• Malls are created with less plants and without windows

• Present malls have white and bland colors and bright lights

• There are many more department stores such as Younkers, Sears and Shopko

• Malls exteriors are built with plastic and

• There are uncomfortable chairs in the food courts to encourages shoppers to spend the least amount of time in that area

•Technology has grown over the years

• Escalators and elevators were introduced in the modern mall

• Their are debit machines as well as computers and touch screens

• Computers allow employees to locate merchandise from other stores within their branch

• More technologically-focused stores are incorporated within the malls

Malls for the FUTUREMalls for the FUTURE

• In past malls, there was a sense of community

• Present malls are lacking socialization and leading more towards assertive shopping interactions

• For future malls, socialization must come back to attract more people

• According to the article “How America Shops and Spends”, 31% of purchases are impulse buys

• It is apparent to have a large mass of people within the mall to gain revenue on these whim purchases

• The layout of the mall distinguishes its identity

• Past malls had a lot of open space and courtyards

• Present malls are prominently structured to encourage more shopping

• Future malls must incorporate socialization as well as assertive shopping

• The mall must offer something different than just shopping because there is now online shopping

• Past to the present, technology has been integrated within the mall

• It is important to continue to use up-to-date technology in future malls

• By using all available resources, the chances of increasing revenue also increases

The PROPOSAL The PROPOSAL

for the FUTUREfor the FUTURE

• Figure “8” layout

• Increasing sit-down restaurants

• Malls will have warm colors and dim lighting

• Entrances will be more attractive and exits less obvious

• A gym and an indoor track will be placed in malls

• Post offices, grocery stores and dentists will be in malls

• There will be an online banking system

• There will be parking lots with electrical plug-ins

• Opening the mall earlier or even 24/7 access

The mall must remain fashionable and up to date as well as be able to increase the opportunity for more socialization in order to survive in the future.