Saying that the future of retailing is up in the air is probably a bit of an understatement. Malls and their department store anchors seem to be on the decline yet thrift stores like Dollar General seem to be doing just fine. The pandemic showed us that we can shop from home for almost anything we need and have it delivered right to our door, often the very next day. With apps like instacart we don't even need to go the grocery store anymore, yet many if not most of us still do.

For this discussion post I'd like for you to please consider why the traditional inside shopping mall is having so much trouble and what can be done to save it. Some of the obvious answers here are that many people are doing the kinds of shopping that they used to do in a mall online because its easier and more convenient, often cheaper too. The brick and mortar stores that are doing well are surviving because they sell things where immediacy outweighs convince. For example, if I'm working on a home improvement project on a Saturday afternoon and discover I need a special tool to finish the job, I'll probably choose to drive to the Home Depot (or Lowe's for those with a preference) and buy the tool. I'm not going to want to wait until Sunday or Monday to get the tool so I can finish the project a few days after I had planned.

But are these easy answers the whole story? It seems risky to buy clothes online given how we are all shaped different. No matter how sharp things look online it seems like most people will want to try on the clothes first just to be sure of a good fit. Same thing with shoes and aren't these products the kinds of things you buy in a mall? What about the rise of the outdoor mall? For those who are local in the Fort Myers area you are familiar with the Forum and Gulf Coast Town Center. These are basically big outdoor malls where the stores have their own roof and there is a lot more parking. Go there on the weekend and you'll see a lot of shopping that could get done online but is happening in person. Finally, during the pandemic, a lot of people started using curb side pickup for groceries as well as having them delivered. Now that we seem to be getting past the pandemic people seem to be going back into the grocery stores and not using the apps or services anymore. Why would that be?

What if anything can be done to save the traditional shopping mall? When considering your answer think about some of the things mentioned in your book like the (channel) experience as well as other factors that influence your decision to visit a mall or not. It is okay to say nothing can be done and the demise of the mall is just the natural evolution of retailing. However, regardless of what you think please support your answer. Provide some sources and/or evidence that supports your stance.