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A few weeks ago. As noted in the comment I made, the hospital I work for now has their eye clinic where Sears used to be. My wife had her appointment and needed me to drive her back, after her eyes were dilated. Previous time was about 5 months ago for my appointment. Can't remember the last time I went there for actual shopping.
I visit King of Prussia Mall every month because It’s where I connect my local bus. But also other times I also go there for bigger shopping than just connecting my local bus. I also visit other malls around the Philly region on Mass Transit as well. At dinner time in King of Prussia, half of the time I am allowing an hour to get something to eat and pick up a video game at GameStop before I head home for the night.
Yesterday, I went to MacArthur Center in Norfolk, VA. There were a lot of stores open, including Bath and Body Works. The Food Court and movie theaters are still there. Dillard's went away.
Here in Utah a lot of our malls are pivoting to a new model that involves constructing apartments and office space within the footprint of the mall. Basically the mall becomes its own little city, where you live, work, and shop/eat. It seems to be working, as the mall’s that are doing this always seem to be busy.
For the first time in years, I went to Westfield Valley Fair to go to the Apple Store. It has evolved into mainly luxury brand stores and specialty restaurants. I think half of the storefronts were restaurants. Ditto with Santana Row. These mall managers successfully changed their mix of stores to attract customers to attract internet shoppers.
not necessarily disagreeing, but I feel every generation feel this way to some extent. for example I'm 20 and I've heard many people my age say "We grew up in the last great time since it was right before internet/social media took over everything."
And the generation before you will always say "it was never like this back in my day". I am 41 so Brodie's age but honestly I don't miss malls being busy at all. I much prefer life and shopping now compared to the late 90s and 2000s.
Finally Brodie discussing the important topics. My local mall finally closed down about a year ago and I miss it a ton even though it was low traffic for over a decade.
I grew up in Portland. In 1989, I was 23 and took a job in Oak Harbor, Washington, then moved to Mountain View two years later. I rarely went to a mall when I lived in the Bay Area, but I was within walking distance of downtown Mountain View. That was simply a matter of (1) saving my driving for road trips, and (2) believing malls had higher cost of goods than other options. Downtown Mountain View may not have helped with clothes, but it satisfied many needs. I didn’t always want to use a car. Then 15 years in Idaho. Unfortunately, I can hardly forget that. But I started going back to Portland more regularly in 2001 (Portland Timbers were the culprit), and not only did I find a downtown that didn’t close its door at 6 anymore, the neighborhoods were hopping, too. While this was happening, one of the older malls in the country (Lloyd Center) was already faltering. This was before the internet was the shopping force it is today. If you have the right urban spaces, you don’t need a mall. The suburbs stopped being cool, really, and Portland was a lab for such things. Funny enough, what REALLY nailed San Francisco also nailed Portland. Housing costs. But, yeah, malls have been in decline for some time.
In Vegas, the malls that attract tourists (Fashion Show on the Strip, and the outlet malls) will remain busy. My local mall, though not a dead as your example, isn’t as busy now as it once was on the holidays. I can find parking pretty easily. As for the movie theatres, human behavior has kind of ruined that. Too many people are in there just to have the movie as background noise to their conversations. It’s like they aren’t even there to see the movie now. Good video!
There's a whole subgenre on RUclips where people walk around dead or dying malls, sometimes with commentary on its history. There are more channels than I can list here, so searching "dying malls" will populate scores of such videos.
My local mall in upstate NY in 2003 had to move to only allowing kids with parents after 7:00pm. Unfortunately classless heathens ruined it for the rest of us. Robberies and fights mainly.
The difference between Stoneridge and Valley Fair is Valley Fair heavily reinvested in themselves. Whereas Stoneridge is the same mall from when I was 8 years old.
This is something I fear for future generations to be honest. I’m in my later 20s but even so many of the places I hung out in as a teenager are gone or shadows of what they were even a decade ago! Where are teenagers supposed to go for a cheap public hangout spot these days? I’ve seen other places refer to this disappearance of “third spaces” for people and it really makes me sad that our eternal drive for pure convenience over everything else is coming back to bite us in the butt in terms of the social and emotional cost
Unfortunately, I think the future for kids "hangout spots" are on the couch in a virtual room. The Internet is causing society to be less social and more isolated. Ironic we're surrounded my how many social media platforms, which I think should be re-branded "Anti-Social Media" platforms.
I would argue that it's not just COVID and more options that are hurting movie theaters; it's also rising prices due to inflation and Hollywood greed. Over the last two decades or so, film studios have been demanding bigger and bigger cuts of ticket sales, which means theaters have to raise prices in order to ensure that they remain profitable. Meanwhile, inflation has recently forced them to raise prices even more, making it harder still for people to go whenever they want. I totally agree that watching movies at home will never be quite the same as going to a movie, which is why I hope they find a way to survive (I would propose there be some sort of agreement to have films run for six months in theaters before going to streaming, starting with first-run theaters and then going to discount/second run). That said, I did decide for Christmas to get my aunt that I live with a kit for making homemade movie-style popcorn, and I can't wait for her to open it in another 2-3 days. (Popcorn is a favorite snack for both of us and I love movie popcorn especially, plus we could also use the kit for watching things like the Super Bowl or another sporting event on TV). This is because we've had some repairs done on our house in the last few years, and this, coupled with inflation, has forced us to make a number of budget cuts elsewhere, including movie tickets (not that we went to movies very often to begin with). I live just a few miles away from a movie theater that still seems to be doing well, and while I rarely see it all filled when I go, that was also the case back in the aughts IIRC. Also nearby is a large outlet mall, and while that seems to be doing all right, I'd be lying if I said I don't see lots of vacant storefronts when I go there now. While I love the convenience of e-commerce (all of our Christmas presents have been bought online this year), I think that there's something to be said for trying something in person before you buy it, especially clothing and shoes, and this is even more true given the absurdly temperamental return policies that so many retailers have. I'm not sure I mourn the decline of traditional malls, though; I'm more partial to outlet malls, strip malls, and stand-alone brick and mortar stores (probably because it's what I'm most familiar with from growing up in the 90s and aughts). Brodie, if I don't comment on any more of your videos between now and then, I want to wish you and your whole family a merry Christmas and a happy 2025!
Customer service in malls tanked. The heyday of malls was really back in the 1980's. The decline began in the 1990's. People don't generally like to drive and get in a bunch of traffic. The new model for malls is to have the stores all open to the outside with them only connected like a strip mall.
Not all malls are created equal. The higher-end malls are still doing well. But America has too much retail space per capita. There has to be a correction.
It’s weird but I also think it’s region dependent. The Bay Area seems to be changing and malls don’t hit like they used to. However out here in Roseville, Ca the Galleria Mall is booming and growing - a big movie theater just opened inside of it along with a Round 1, Escape Room place, high end stores Gucci, etc… with even more on the way. Across from the mall “The Fountains” like a mini Santana Row is always packed and a bunch of new restaurants and other shops are opening soon. Not sure why this region is any different considering we are only 2hrs away from the bay but it’s a huge retail hub that always seems to be packed out. Could also be because many are moving here and enticed by the “new” factor?
Western Placer County is pretty affluent so that helps. Arden Fair isn't as good as it used to be without Nordstrom, so the Nordstrom at the Galleria attracts the region.
It used to be, you would get spare change or a few dollar bills and run into a theater. Now you have buy tickets in advance online as a major purchase. Also, with all the rude people talking during the movies, and shooting selfies by standing in front of other people and whiting out the screen with their flash, it's just not worth it.
The malls that shift from just shopping to entertainment may survive. The local mall that used to have 4 anchor department stores now has one but Dave and Busters and Dicks are moving in to the large spaces. Movie theaters won’t recover until the price point lowers. I have a big TV a comfy couch and plenty of snacks. Why would I pay damn near 100 buck to see a movie with worn out seats, rude phone people, ridiculously priced drinks and snacks when I can rent to moving 2 months later for 10 bucks.
I live in the Hampton Roads, VA area where we had at least 5 malls when I was growing up. The mall near my house is about the only traditional one left in the area. One closed down completely a couple years ago, and the land is slated for new development. The other 3 have been converted into what they are calling Town Centers, basically a large shopping district or outdoor mall.
I live 40 or so miles south of Dallas. There are at least 3 malls around the metroplex that one can't hardly walk through for the people, but they are in more affluent areas. Speaking of movies. When I was 8 my mom took me to downtown Dallas to see "Gone With The Wind" at the Palace theater for it's 20th year anniversary in 1959. Now if I get a chance to watch it it is a little disappointing, because I remember watching it on the big scree. Nothing like the big screen watching a good movie which is becoming more rare these days it seems to me anyway. Probably because I'm an old codger. :)
I'm in my 40's. I remember back in the 90's, we spent so much time at the movie theaters watching movies. There was always a new movie each week that me and my friends wanted to see together. Now I sound like the old man.
I moved from San Jose to St. Louis in 1999. I returned for the last A’s game. After the game I took BART to Stoneridge for dinner. I was shocked at the lack of options. It’s depressing coming back after time to find my childhood memories fading away.
I'll be the old guy, then...yes, going to a mall is not like it was. To be honest, I'm fine with it, _especially_ at this time of year. The traffic, the attitudes, the frustration of having to find THE last-minute present for the one person you forgot to buy a present for because they got you something last year and you can't not give them _something_ this year. Malls turning into ghost towns can only be an improvement. 15 years ago, I remember going to the movies with my girlfriend and her kids. Don't ask me what the movie was, because I don't remember. What I do remember is the two-year-old reaching into our popcorn bucket from the row behind us, while his parents were all-too-engrossed in their phones. When I told him to keep his hands to himself, his parents woke up from their cellular slumber and looked at me as if I owed them money. I asked them to instruct their child not to reach in other people's food. They told me, "He's just a child." I told them, "Yes, but not _my_ child. You feed yours, I'll feed mine." I was done with the movie theatre experience from that day forward.
80's baby here in Canada. I remember the malls being packed, and not just during the holiday rush. As you say, on lazy weekend afternoons, it was the default hangout place. And I do remember long lineups that stretched outside the theatre doors, to get into the big movies. I remember the long lineups for the premieres of Independence Day and Jurassic Park. The internet has destroyed some of the businesses that would anchor a mall and provide relatively inexpensive impulse purchases, like games, and CDs, and toys.
You’re absolutely right that malls are declining, and this is nothing new. I was recently at the old Franklin Mills in Philadelphia and it was nothing like what it was 20 years ago. Mostly vacant, some of the anchor stores have been cut in half, and the only addition is the anti-crime measures. It used to be packed. Closer to my current home in New Jersey is the same thing - they are generally less crowded, and department stores are being converted to large specialty restaurants, supermarkets, furniture stores, and warehouse clubs. At least the space is still used in those cases. But why? It’s not just that shopping is available online, but that the content is available online. It used to be that every mall had one or two record stores, video stores, and bookstores. That media is largely outdated and the content is no longer sold on vinyl, tape, or paper. Not as much anymore. Such is “progress”.
Brodie, remember the mall back in my the ‘70s in my hometown. Today it is closed, bunt I currently live in the north Atlanta suburbs, where in the last 5 years three have closed and are being redeveloped into mixed use communities.. However there are three that are still thriving, North Point Mall, Sugarloaf Mills Mall and the Mall of Georgia. Which still packs the people in. I believe that malls will survive, but in strategic locations. You talk of being the old guy talking about the 90s and 2000s. You are just a kid to those of us who went to the malls in the 70s and 80s to pick up girls or just to go girl watching! 😅. Have a Merry Christmas Christmas!
Yes, the internet helped kill Malls. But it's also generational. The people who went to the Malls once or twice a week are aging out. My Grandmother was born in 1896, raised in San Francisco, and her store was The Emporium. Until the day she died it was her place to shop. As their customer base aged out their sales declined and they were sold off. (there were other factor too, but you need those loyal customers.) My mother loved Malls. She shopped and worked at Vallco Fashion Park in Cupertino. She passed away this year at age 88. As she got older mobility issues made it harder for her to get around so no more Malls. She turned to the internet but couldn't really work a computer so I bought things for her. I'm now 65 and I tend to go to single buildings (Target, Safeway, etc...). Malls need an attraction store to get me to go in. It's hard for me to walk a lot. I think I'm aging out.🤓 P.S. Most respectfully Brodie, Post what you feel strong about.
brodie! i currently work at the vans in stoneridge and have been working there for over 2 years now. i can tell you that most weekdays look exactly what you filmed. obviously the holidays will have increased foot traffic but on a normal thursday morning, it looks exactly what you saw
I went to Valley Fair in San Jose yesterday and it was packed. The traffic was massive to get in. Lucky I had the patience to withstand it. It has a lot going for it. It also helps that Santana Row is across the street. As someone that loved going to the movie theater back in the day, I stopped going because people don’t have common courtesy anymore. While the movie is playing, People are having full blown conversations. Checking their phones and taking phone calls. Kids yelling and crying. Just doing anything to disrupt the experience. I still remember seeing 3 movies in one day. That’s how much I loved to be at a movie theater. It’s very rare that I go. I haven’t gone once this year.
Yes, the Internet has played a huge factor, but what also played a big factor are the strip malls. You can find the strip malls everywhere and you can be in and out of them quicker than the whole mall experience which does not have many stores left. Many stores that you could only find a mall 20-30 years ago; you can now find in many strip malls that are usually closer to home and more convenient than having the crowds of the mall. With regards to the movies, I agree you cannot beat the big screen experience, but they are pricing themselves out. It is easily over $50 for two tickets, a popcorn and drink. Plus, there just are not that many good movies playing anymore. It is mostly horror films.
I worked at the 1st Raiders Image store in the Sun Valley Mall. I told myself I never wanted to work at a Mall, but there were some fun memories there. I ended up getting an offer from the team to open the first team stores in Southern California. I look at it this way, if I didn't take that job at the Mall, I wouldn't have been offered that position to move to SoCal, which would then have given me an opportunity to leave that job and work in entertainment for 20 plus years in Hollywood. Remember, everything happens for a reason.
I agree 100% .Same with Toys R us and Toy stores you could go to.As long as technology grows and convenience grows, shopping malls will go extinct for ever. It’s truly sad!😢
I was just in a packed mall today printing out stuff at the library branch here. It's also a transit center, movie theater, EV charging center, and a community center with some city offices. The Vancouver mall works because the whole area urbanized around it and it became a hub. Several other malls died out, but the ones that remain, are doing good. Sports based only? But the channel is your name, you should branch out more. After all we're here for you! The thing that killed malls was they built too many, eventually the ones that are popular will remain and the ones they built as rapid expansion won't. The internet did do that, and its a good thing, we dont need 1 million acres of mall parking lots lol.
It must be a Bay area thing. In Atlanta Lennox Mall and Phipps Plaza are both still packed all the time. They are also right across the street from each other which would typically cause less people in each mall because they are basically splitting the customer supply. I think the issue with this mall might be a result of it just being in the Oakland area or California. Some other states that don't have people practicing what seems to be a mass exodus don't have this issue. I can't speak for all of them and most lower tier malls have definitely lost over 90% of their customers. In Atlanta though the upper tier malls like Lennox and Phipps Plaza stay packed during the holiday season. Being able to try on high end clothes like Versace before you buy them still seems to have appeal to people. The only malls I know of that have survived have stores like that and Mayor's and Armani and Gucci and Prada and Chanel and Tiffany and Fendi etc. though. I guess people like to go to malls and actually touch the products before they pay $700 for a shirt or $900 on a sweater or whatever they like to buy at those stores. Also Hugh end jewelry and watches that cost anywhere from tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars are something you definitely want to buy in person. I never have but there's no way I would spend that kind of money on the internet for something I've never seen in person. Great video Brodie Brazil I like the more diverse content.
yes, the internet has impacted shopping in a major way, but don't discount the cost of gas and wear & tear on a vehicle as contributing factors. Most of the mall shoppers I saw were teenagers, young kids using going to the mall as a "social experience". Hanging out with friends, spending money on clothes, the arcade, maybe a movie? But as the cost of fuel and repairs have increased, these teenagers who usually get second-hand cars have invested more money into repairs, fuel and general upkeep. To them, its simply easier, and at least in MY area, less expensive to "order" clothing off of Amazon or Old Navy and get it in a day or two than to drive to a store, pay the same or higher price, including sales tax, gas and wear & tear on the vehicle. The "social experience" has in my opinion been replaced by "texting" so meeting friends at a mall to "hang out" is no longer necessary. If you want to SEE the person, Face Time is the thing now.
as a person from san jose, this video definitely caught me off guard. but knowing that you were focusing this video to stoneridge, because unfortunately, it has been left in the past. however, if you havent been to valley fair/santana row yet, i would highly suggest visiting for the day, because it is a fun place to be.
The mall I grew up frequenting (South Town) was just purchased by the Smith Entertainment Group and is being converted to a practice facility and business operations center for the Utah Hockey Club! As far as the movie theater goes, it seems to me like they are squeezing more revenue in the form of higher ticket and concession prices (with less employees) out of fewer total customers. Just my opinion. No data to back that up. Sometimes the simplest observation is the right one.
Interesting enough, the arena that the Winnipeg Jets play in was a harbinger for what you describe in the video. The arena sits on land which was once housed the flagship location of Eaton's, the biggest and one of the oldest department stores in Canada. Up until the late 80's, Eaton's was the reason that anyone went downtown. Eaton's went bankrupt 25 years ago and was subsequently bought by Sears. Well everyone knows what happened after that.
I feel the Internet with places like Amazon, and all of the streaming services for the most part has killed most mall, and movie theater locations. The first thing Amazon killed was a large number of book stores. Now when it comes to jobs that an employee could do at any location that has an Internet connection a large number of companies are still pushing for butts in seats. This makes no sense to me.
Brodie, I don't visit malls as much because malls don't have what I look for if it's not sports related. If I'm looking for merchandise of say, 90s video game series that weren't released outside of Japan, the last place I'll think of is a mall that's not Kintetsu (San Francisco). If I'm at a mall, it'll be to grab Jollibee's food in Great Mall usually, and I made a visit there maybe a month ago or so.
This is the thing that kind of shocks me about America. I live half the year in Asia (Korea and Japan) and even though both countries are technologically advanced with prevalent internet shopping and video streaming and both countries half tons of public places like parks and squares, all their shopping malls and movie theaters are still packed with people all the time.
I’ve predicted this for a long time, by the end of the decade, shopping malls and movie theaters will become extinct and its thanks to shopping online and streaming respectively which saves time and money for most people.
my local downtown mall here in Salem Oregon is doing great, but that’s bcuz it’s centrally located & doesn’t require a car to get there. I think all these suburban malls are dying bcuz not everyone has a car to get there. We need to rebuild our cities to accommodate PEOPLE, not cars.
It’s interesting, the conversation not too long ago, was the malls are killing downtown shopping. Yes, I’m old and remember shopping, with my parents, in downtown Oakland. That was in the 50s. Then the Southland Mall opened in Hayward. There wasn’t a reason to drive to Oakland anymore. Shortly after, the Fremont Hub opened, you guessed it, no reason to drive all the way Hayward. I live in West Virginia now and shop at one of those sprawling shopping complexes anchored by several Big Box retailers and endless chain restaurants. Not complaining though, I live in a rural area (really rural) just a five minutes drive away. I guess it’s evolutionary. I can still picture, in my mind, that bright giant red neon Montgomery Wards sign that you could see for miles away driving up the Nimitz Freeway, bound for shopping downtown. Can’t leave without saying Ricky Henderson RIP.
The decline of Westfield San Francisco Centre has been sad to watch. Supposedly the property was due to be auctioned off this month, but I haven’t seen any updates.
It really is. Covid really killed the Westfield Centre, even though things were going bad for the Westfield Centre pre-covid when the Walgreens inside the Westfield Centre next to the food court closed.
Sunvalley on the same trajectory. Funny because back in the 90s ,parents would drive us down to Stoneridge because it was the more "upscale" feeling mall compared to Sunvalley.
Mall owners need to think outside the box to get people to shop there again. Here in South Jersey, the Hamilton Mall is dying but the Deptford Mall is thriving. Deptford added a bowling ally, a fitness center, plus replaced stores with new ones and the mall is doing great.
The SF Premium Outlets in Livermore is crushing Stoneridge Mall in Pleasanton. Now, there is a new Costco over there as well. Let's not forget about the changing demographics in Pleasanto and the surrounding areas. Many immigrants now inhabit the tri-valley area and their tastes may not align with what the old style of indoor malls offer...
While the internet did have an impact on malls when one goes to a mall and the variety of stores is poor it isn't going to draw a lot of people. Malls need to diversify, and offer spaces for local businesses as well to gain support from the local community.
This makes me wonder if some sports fans would rather watch sports on TV at home rather than going to the actual game. The cost of going to a movie or sports event in person is expensive compared to in the past. In the past a movie took 6 months before you could rent the movie at Blockbuster & 11-12 months before the movie was on a premium channel such as HBO or Showtime. Today movies could be viewable on streaming services 30-90 days. Sports event tickets were cheaper in the past compared to today.
I’m in the suburbs north of Philly. We have at least 8 malls in a 30 minute radius. The only one thriving is King of Prussia, which is the largest and clearly the most upscale. I live par 5 distance from Montgomery Mall and it looks like the one you showed. The periphery stuff does great but the actual interior of the mall was dying pre-covid and is down to maybe 30% occupancy. The food court has 3 places open out of a dozen spots. It’s pretty wild when that parking lot was full all the time not that many years ago.
Stonebriar Center in Frisco TX is doing really well, always full parking lot. We have had many in DFW that have gone under, but a few are doing well. 🤠👍
Good to hear Chris in Texas. The couple of times I visited DFW, last time was almost 20 years ago. It was the week between Christmas and New Year’s 2006-‘07, Stonebriar was the main mall probably in all of North Texas. Back East especially here in Upstate New York, the major cities such as Buffalo, Syracuse and The NYS Capital City Albany all have 1 major mall doing well. While the others in those cities and nearby suburbs are on life support being kind. Not counting the mini “outdoor strip malls” anchored by Walmart and or Target.
Doesn’t hurt that Frisco is 30 miles outside Dallas. Thing is, I know both soccer fans (FC Dallas plays in Frisco) and FCS football fans who usually lament going to Frisco because there’s not enough bars and other amenities in that area on game days. Many cheered the news of the 2026 and 2027 championships playing in Nashville.
From my experiences, malls are still popular in larger urban areas. I've been to Hamilton, Ontario, Arlington, Virginia, and Orlando and they were crowded. In malls in Sanford, Florida, and Daytona, Florida, they're empty and many stores closed.
There's a non profit theater near me I go to all the time. They do tons of special programming like classics, cult favorites, and new movies that are coming out. There are definitely still good movie theaters out there to support!
In my hometown, a local mall was converted to office space for the state, county, and local governments and a few businesses that required fairly easy access to those offices. Unless malls can find an alternative use like that, they're all doomed.
Great video Brodie. I know for me personally, I find more value at shopping at outlet malls (ex: the Premium Outlets chain owned by the Simon group) than the regular mall mainly because there are better deals. This is in addition to online but I lean more towards outlet malls because I can actually try on what I am going to buy. My local mall (Alderwood Mall near Seattle) has transitioned to more of an urban village where in addition to stores, there is housing, a movie theater & multiple sit down restaurant chains. That is the model that malls need to transition to in my view in order to survive.
Ray Oldenburg coined the term “third place” it is the space designed for you to go outside of home and work. With a whole quarter of a generation not physically going to work it has eliminated the second place and if humans don’t have a routine of leaving their house they will make their home more comfortable and not go to third places- (malls, theaters, churches, bars, libraries, and gyms). If you go to an Open House, homes have gyms, offices, media rooms, and bars to cover everything a second and third place could offer.
Hey Brodie, I know you're mostly a sports guy, but given your familiarity with the Bay Area, how about doing a lengthy video on the San Francisco and Oakland Zoo's, comparing the two and what they could do to improve in the future, particularly the SF Zoo, given it's trouble and controversies in recent years.
Do more topics like this Brodie. They are almost as interesting as sports talk. I live in Fairfield. My Mall is still very busy. However the Edwards Movie Theatre is not as busy as it used to be. Sometimes it looks like a ghost town. The Theatre is kept way to cold. Staff and seating are much better in near by Vacaville or Napa Theatres. ....Your video of that abandoned mall looked very much like the 1 here locally, except there are still many people walking around. Maybe not as many as 10 years ago. ....Great video tribute to the great Rickey Henderson. Thanks for that. .....I'm almost 65 so I go against your typical age demographic. :) -Kurt
Shopping malls aren't what they once were. Your right Brodie, internet, particularly Amazon, Ebay and online sales from various companies, have limited peoples reasons for going shopping in person.
Your points about the quality of television and movies at home is spot on, and the fact that the theater has little in the way of choice on what to see. Theaters aren't packed anymore because the time slots available to see a movie are numerous. Supply has outgrown demand. Theater hours of operation should change to reflect that giving the buying public a sense that going to a movie is a special event they have to plan for, and not something to do when (and if) they get around to it.
Midwest still has some popular malls, the good one was packed yesterday, also my home theater is way nicer than any movie theater, better projector and sound and I can hit my bong
I actually don’t go to the movies anymore because I know I can stream them later on Hulu to Netflix and so on. But I still enjoy visiting Malls. I like visiting different malls throughout the country. But I can see your point on the malls as well. Some like King of Prussia Mall to Mall of America that are popular continues to go strong. American Dream Mall in New Jersey to Destiny USA in Syracuse are also still doing well I am sure. I noticed Willow Grove Park Mall also hasn’t gone downhill yet either. But Exton Square, Plymouth Meeting Mall to Montgomery mall in the Philly area are kind of hanging on. So Malls still continue to be important for me as I enjoy visiting different malls.
Brodie. If you are interested, so am I. Comparing your malls to the ones here in Glasgow, Scotland and wider UK is completely juxtaposing thing. The ones here are thriving, ours are getting back to 2019 highs. They are probably within about 3% for the most part. Ours are rammed. Thing is, ours now have proper restaurants in there, they are ram packed. Not just a McDonalds, Burger King or KFC. The London ones are a licence to print money. Weather plays a major part on it here, too cold/rainy go to the centre. Too warm, same, go to the centre. It’s a day out. Even our cities and towns are starting to recover to a point. How are your downtown areas to our towns and cities.
Hi Brody. I am in the UK, we do not have the mega malls in the amount that you have. I have visited a few on vacation to your fair country. Our equivalent would be our city/town high streets and we had a similar issue here but the High Street is making a bit of a comeback. Regarding the cinemas, I like to visit the pictures first before streaming, used to be vidoes/DVDs! Just seen Gladiator 2 and Conclave but I agree there is not choice there used to be. Love your work, keep it up. a bit more Blue Jay's content would be nice!
This is my local mall. It’s dead. It’s been dead for years now. Part of it is that there was a point where people were getting robbed and assaulted in the parking lot by degenerate scumbags who’d BART in from Oak and the city to Pleasanton and hang out in the parking lots like a bunch of vulture losers.
I spent the Sunday before Christmas at two of our local malls ( one indoor one out door ) and they were both packed. We as a family go to the out door mall once a month or so, and there is always a pretty good amount of foot traffic. My wife and I also are trying to use Amazon less and less. So this is the first time I’ve gone out for a few years to do my Christmas shopping.
I’m 18 and I live in Santa Cruz, me and my friend always hit up the Capitola mall even though it’s empty as hell, wish that malls would make a come back 😞
As far as malls go, you said it yourself. The future of that land is mixed residential. Their doing that with Bayfair, Hilltop and possibly Southland. So, there is a trade-pff. It may be a bit depressing to see the decline of the American mall, but if that land can be used to put a little bit of a dent in the housing crisis, there's your silver lining.
I got pulled over once in 1994 by CHP going over the Altamont Pass on my way to Stoneridge from Tracy. Had to get my Panasonic 3DO video game! I was only speeding to get over the hill, told CHP I may be doing 80 here but by the time I hit N Fynn Rd I am at 45 tops.
You went on a weekday where school was in session so that's why it was so slow. Stonebridge gets more traffic on weekends. Not like back in the day but more than hat you showed.
These kind of things Brodie....just suck. I'm also guilty of causing it.....I haven't been to a mall in over a year. If a mall has enough foot traffic around it for public transportation or it's got a "built in reason" for people to be there other than shopping/eating....then it's probably doing well. LOL "That old guy"....yeah, I used to be the "young guy", but that was 40 years ago. My "usual" mall growing up in Boston is actually doing ok in Cambridge Mass...but it has lots of other reasons, MIT, Harvard, Boston University, Northeastern University around it. Plus it's 2 stops down from where the Boston Bruins and Boston Celtics play. Where I live now in North Texas...the malls are like Stoneridge. One of the biggest around here, Collin Creek Mall is being converted into housing, retail, a hotel and some office space in a 2 billion dollar renovation.
My local mall in the East bay Sunvalley mall is similar to Stoneridge the biggest difference is Round 1 bowling and arcade. That place is open until 2am daily and remains packed. From what i can I tell at least in Bay Area suburbs, while malls are struggling I still see outdoor shopping centers doing well. The Veanda in Concord for example has an IMAX theater as the main sellig point while having a Dave and Busters, a mystery escape room, an outdoor space for kids, plenty of better food options than a mall would offer and decent shopping. Malls just in 2024 and beyond seem to be too big now with just alot of fluff that folks today won't go out of their way for.
Stoneridge mall used to be one of my most frequented places in the Bay Area. Heck, I got my first Sharks jersey at the Sharks store at Stoneridge Mall. Yes, they had a Sharks store at Stoneridge Mall, and it was AWESOME!!! The smell of Cinnabon wafting through the stores, Macy’s, Victoria’s Secret, Hot Topic, Sbarro’s,Disney Store. Ya, Miss Stoneridge Mall.
I used to work at a movie theater in Hilltop Mall in Richmond back in the early-mid 90s That mall has been shut down for years though now. I was at Sunvalley Mall in Concord last week. Was pretty busy and it was on a Monday.
Depends on location and what is out there. I live in Greenville, SC and Heywood Mall has been a packed house for the holidays. Even on weekends its a packed house. It depends on its the area to be honest and what is out there in the local area.
14 часов назад
I've been there a few times back in the late 80's early 90s. It seemed to be a big mall from what I remember, but I was going to school in Davis and grew up in Stockton.
My wife and I took our sons (5 and 2) to see Santa on Friday and it looked like a mild Tuesday night rather than days before Christmas. I recall shopping here with my family in early December back in the late 90s and it would be packed. Bay Fair Mall is even more pathetic and was far longer. I used to go there once a week with my siblings and grandmother in the summers in the early to mid 90s.
There used to be SEVERAL good reasons to go to the mall. For women there was plenty of shopping at the 3 or 4 anchor stores, plus many other womens clothes boutiques, jewelry, purses, BB&B, Forever 21, movie theater, and on and on. Malls didn't really cater to guys but there was the movie theater, food court, lots of magazines/books at Waldenbooks/B Dalton, Spencers, Babbages, Suncoast Video, Video Concepts or Circuit City, Towers records, and on and on. I don't think there's anything besides food court and a comic book movie that caters to guys at the mall anymore so half the population is cut out from the start. Finally, sad to say, people used to dress sharp/look good when they went to the mall. Nowadays you might walk into the mall entrance and immediately get so distressed by what you see just turn around and walk back out, never to return.
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When was your last trip to the mall?
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A few weeks ago. As noted in the comment I made, the hospital I work for now has their eye clinic where Sears used to be. My wife had her appointment and needed me to drive her back, after her eyes were dilated. Previous time was about 5 months ago for my appointment. Can't remember the last time I went there for actual shopping.
Yesterday!
I visit King of Prussia Mall every month because It’s where I connect my local bus. But also other times I also go there for bigger shopping than just connecting my local bus. I also visit other malls around the Philly region on Mass Transit as well. At dinner time in King of Prussia, half of the time I am allowing an hour to get something to eat and pick up a video game at GameStop before I head home for the night.
Yesterday, I went to MacArthur Center in Norfolk, VA. There were a lot of stores open, including Bath and Body Works. The Food Court and movie theaters are still there. Dillard's went away.
2003
Here in Utah a lot of our malls are pivoting to a new model that involves constructing apartments and office space within the footprint of the mall. Basically the mall becomes its own little city, where you live, work, and shop/eat. It seems to be working, as the mall’s that are doing this always seem to be busy.
Bay St in Emeryville is like that. Covid killed the vibe but it appears to be making a comeback
Pot on Brodie. Times are a changin'. My wife and I are 75 and I always say " we lived at the right time ". Every day backs that up. Enjoyed the video
I agree 100% I noticed it going down in the mid 2000's but I never thought it'd completely collapse.
For the first time in years, I went to Westfield Valley Fair to go to the Apple Store. It has evolved into mainly luxury brand stores and specialty restaurants. I think half of the storefronts were restaurants. Ditto with Santana Row. These mall managers successfully changed their mix of stores to attract customers to attract internet shoppers.
not necessarily disagreeing, but I feel every generation feel this way to some extent. for example I'm 20 and I've heard many people my age say "We grew up in the last great time since it was right before internet/social media took over everything."
And the generation before you will always say "it was never like this back in my day". I am 41 so Brodie's age but honestly I don't miss malls being busy at all. I much prefer life and shopping now compared to the late 90s and 2000s.
Finally Brodie discussing the important topics. My local mall finally closed down about a year ago and I miss it a ton even though it was low traffic for over a decade.
What we are losing is what they call "3rd places"
Except from sports venues lol
Yes a place where most people can congregate and enjoy the day
I grew up in Portland. In 1989, I was 23 and took a job in Oak Harbor, Washington, then moved to Mountain View two years later. I rarely went to a mall when I lived in the Bay Area, but I was within walking distance of downtown Mountain View. That was simply a matter of (1) saving my driving for road trips, and (2) believing malls had higher cost of goods than other options. Downtown Mountain View may not have helped with clothes, but it satisfied many needs. I didn’t always want to use a car.
Then 15 years in Idaho. Unfortunately, I can hardly forget that. But I started going back to Portland more regularly in 2001 (Portland Timbers were the culprit), and not only did I find a downtown that didn’t close its door at 6 anymore, the neighborhoods were hopping, too. While this was happening, one of the older malls in the country (Lloyd Center) was already faltering. This was before the internet was the shopping force it is today.
If you have the right urban spaces, you don’t need a mall. The suburbs stopped being cool, really, and Portland was a lab for such things.
Funny enough, what REALLY nailed San Francisco also nailed Portland. Housing costs.
But, yeah, malls have been in decline for some time.
In Vegas, the malls that attract tourists (Fashion Show on the Strip, and the outlet malls) will remain busy. My local mall, though not a dead as your example, isn’t as busy now as it once was on the holidays. I can find parking pretty easily. As for the movie theatres, human behavior has kind of ruined that. Too many people are in there just to have the movie as background noise to their conversations. It’s like they aren’t even there to see the movie now. Good video!
Really? Where im from talking in a movie theater is rude.
Technically your not wrong with the Answer most people go out to the malls to eat not as much to shop but to eat and socialize mostly
There's a whole subgenre on RUclips where people walk around dead or dying malls, sometimes with commentary on its history. There are more channels than I can list here, so searching "dying malls" will populate scores of such videos.
My local mall in upstate NY in 2003 had to move to only allowing kids with parents after 7:00pm.
Unfortunately classless heathens ruined it for the rest of us. Robberies and fights mainly.
The difference between Stoneridge and Valley Fair is Valley Fair heavily reinvested in themselves. Whereas Stoneridge is the same mall from when I was 8 years old.
This is something I fear for future generations to be honest. I’m in my later 20s but even so many of the places I hung out in as a teenager are gone or shadows of what they were even a decade ago! Where are teenagers supposed to go for a cheap public hangout spot these days? I’ve seen other places refer to this disappearance of “third spaces” for people and it really makes me sad that our eternal drive for pure convenience over everything else is coming back to bite us in the butt in terms of the social and emotional cost
Unfortunately, I think the future for kids "hangout spots" are on the couch in a virtual room. The Internet is causing society to be less social and more isolated. Ironic we're surrounded my how many social media platforms, which I think should be re-branded "Anti-Social Media" platforms.
I would argue that it's not just COVID and more options that are hurting movie theaters; it's also rising prices due to inflation and Hollywood greed. Over the last two decades or so, film studios have been demanding bigger and bigger cuts of ticket sales, which means theaters have to raise prices in order to ensure that they remain profitable. Meanwhile, inflation has recently forced them to raise prices even more, making it harder still for people to go whenever they want. I totally agree that watching movies at home will never be quite the same as going to a movie, which is why I hope they find a way to survive (I would propose there be some sort of agreement to have films run for six months in theaters before going to streaming, starting with first-run theaters and then going to discount/second run). That said, I did decide for Christmas to get my aunt that I live with a kit for making homemade movie-style popcorn, and I can't wait for her to open it in another 2-3 days. (Popcorn is a favorite snack for both of us and I love movie popcorn especially, plus we could also use the kit for watching things like the Super Bowl or another sporting event on TV). This is because we've had some repairs done on our house in the last few years, and this, coupled with inflation, has forced us to make a number of budget cuts elsewhere, including movie tickets (not that we went to movies very often to begin with).
I live just a few miles away from a movie theater that still seems to be doing well, and while I rarely see it all filled when I go, that was also the case back in the aughts IIRC. Also nearby is a large outlet mall, and while that seems to be doing all right, I'd be lying if I said I don't see lots of vacant storefronts when I go there now. While I love the convenience of e-commerce (all of our Christmas presents have been bought online this year), I think that there's something to be said for trying something in person before you buy it, especially clothing and shoes, and this is even more true given the absurdly temperamental return policies that so many retailers have. I'm not sure I mourn the decline of traditional malls, though; I'm more partial to outlet malls, strip malls, and stand-alone brick and mortar stores (probably because it's what I'm most familiar with from growing up in the 90s and aughts).
Brodie, if I don't comment on any more of your videos between now and then, I want to wish you and your whole family a merry Christmas and a happy 2025!
Customer service in malls tanked. The heyday of malls was really back in the 1980's. The decline began in the 1990's. People don't generally like to drive and get in a bunch of traffic. The new model for malls is to have the stores all open to the outside with them only connected like a strip mall.
Not all malls are created equal. The higher-end malls are still doing well. But America has too much retail space per capita. There has to be a correction.
It’s weird but I also think it’s region dependent. The Bay Area seems to be changing and malls don’t hit like they used to. However out here in Roseville, Ca the Galleria Mall is booming and growing - a big movie theater just opened inside of it along with a Round 1, Escape Room place, high end stores Gucci, etc… with even more on the way. Across from the mall “The Fountains” like a mini Santana Row is always packed and a bunch of new restaurants and other shops are opening soon. Not sure why this region is any different considering we are only 2hrs away from the bay but it’s a huge retail hub that always seems to be packed out. Could also be because many are moving here and enticed by the “new” factor?
I was just there a few months back! Oh, and yes! Round 1! Love that place!
Western Placer County is pretty affluent so that helps. Arden Fair isn't as good as it used to be without Nordstrom, so the Nordstrom at the Galleria attracts the region.
It used to be, you would get spare change or a few dollar bills and run into a theater. Now you have buy tickets in advance online as a major purchase. Also, with all the rude people talking during the movies, and shooting selfies by standing in front of other people and whiting out the screen with their flash, it's just not worth it.
The malls that shift from just shopping to entertainment may survive. The local mall that used to have 4 anchor department stores now has one but Dave and Busters and Dicks are moving in to the large spaces.
Movie theaters won’t recover until the price point lowers. I have a big TV a comfy couch and plenty of snacks. Why would I pay damn near 100 buck to see a movie with worn out seats, rude phone people, ridiculously priced drinks and snacks when I can rent to moving 2 months later for 10 bucks.
I live in the Hampton Roads, VA area where we had at least 5 malls when I was growing up. The mall near my house is about the only traditional one left in the area. One closed down completely a couple years ago, and the land is slated for new development. The other 3 have been converted into what they are calling Town Centers, basically a large shopping district or outdoor mall.
I live 40 or so miles south of Dallas. There are at least 3 malls around the metroplex that one can't hardly walk through for the people, but they are in more affluent areas. Speaking of movies. When I was 8 my mom took me to downtown Dallas to see "Gone With The Wind" at the Palace theater for it's 20th year anniversary in 1959. Now if I get a chance to watch it it is a little disappointing, because I remember watching it on the big scree. Nothing like the big screen watching a good movie which is becoming more rare these days it seems to me anyway. Probably because I'm an old codger. :)
I'm in my 40's. I remember back in the 90's, we spent so much time at the movie theaters watching movies. There was always a new movie each week that me and my friends wanted to see together. Now I sound like the old man.
I moved from San Jose to St. Louis in 1999. I returned for the last A’s game. After the game I took BART to Stoneridge for dinner. I was shocked at the lack of options. It’s depressing coming back after time to find my childhood memories fading away.
Yeah stoneridge is dead. But hey at least you have the massive workday headquarters across the street
How often do you spot Nelly in the Lou? Do you talk with that Country Grammar?
Wow, I remember when these mall's would be packed especially at the holiday season
I'll be the old guy, then...yes, going to a mall is not like it was. To be honest, I'm fine with it, _especially_ at this time of year. The traffic, the attitudes, the frustration of having to find THE last-minute present for the one person you forgot to buy a present for because they got you something last year and you can't not give them _something_ this year. Malls turning into ghost towns can only be an improvement.
15 years ago, I remember going to the movies with my girlfriend and her kids. Don't ask me what the movie was, because I don't remember. What I do remember is the two-year-old reaching into our popcorn bucket from the row behind us, while his parents were all-too-engrossed in their phones. When I told him to keep his hands to himself, his parents woke up from their cellular slumber and looked at me as if I owed them money. I asked them to instruct their child not to reach in other people's food. They told me, "He's just a child." I told them, "Yes, but not _my_ child. You feed yours, I'll feed mine." I was done with the movie theatre experience from that day forward.
Yep. Totally agree. Online shopping killed shopping malls since it’s less crowded now.
80's baby here in Canada. I remember the malls being packed, and not just during the holiday rush. As you say, on lazy weekend afternoons, it was the default hangout place. And I do remember long lineups that stretched outside the theatre doors, to get into the big movies. I remember the long lineups for the premieres of Independence Day and Jurassic Park. The internet has destroyed some of the businesses that would anchor a mall and provide relatively inexpensive impulse purchases, like games, and CDs, and toys.
You’re absolutely right that malls are declining, and this is nothing new. I was recently at the old Franklin Mills in Philadelphia and it was nothing like what it was 20 years ago. Mostly vacant, some of the anchor stores have been cut in half, and the only addition is the anti-crime measures. It used to be packed. Closer to my current home in New Jersey is the same thing - they are generally less crowded, and department stores are being converted to large specialty restaurants, supermarkets, furniture stores, and warehouse clubs. At least the space is still used in those cases.
But why? It’s not just that shopping is available online, but that the content is available online. It used to be that every mall had one or two record stores, video stores, and bookstores. That media is largely outdated and the content is no longer sold on vinyl, tape, or paper. Not as much anymore. Such is “progress”.
Brodie, remember the mall back in my the ‘70s in my hometown. Today it is closed, bunt I currently live in the north Atlanta suburbs, where in the last 5 years three have closed and are being redeveloped into mixed use communities.. However there are three that are still thriving, North Point Mall, Sugarloaf Mills Mall and the Mall of Georgia. Which still packs the people in. I believe that malls will survive, but in strategic locations. You talk of being the old guy talking about the 90s and 2000s. You are just a kid to those of us who went to the malls in the 70s and 80s to pick up girls or just to go girl watching! 😅. Have a Merry Christmas Christmas!
Yes, the internet helped kill Malls. But it's also generational. The people who went to the Malls once or twice a week are aging out. My Grandmother was born in 1896, raised in San Francisco, and her store was The Emporium. Until the day she died it was her place to shop. As their customer base aged out their sales declined and they were sold off. (there were other factor too, but you need those loyal customers.) My mother loved Malls. She shopped and worked at Vallco Fashion Park in Cupertino. She passed away this year at age 88. As she got older mobility issues made it harder for her to get around so no more Malls. She turned to the internet but couldn't really work a computer so I bought things for her. I'm now 65 and I tend to go to single buildings (Target, Safeway, etc...). Malls need an attraction store to get me to go in. It's hard for me to walk a lot. I think I'm aging out.🤓
P.S. Most respectfully Brodie, Post what you feel strong about.
brodie! i currently work at the vans in stoneridge and have been working there for over 2 years now. i can tell you that most weekdays look exactly what you filmed. obviously the holidays will have increased foot traffic but on a normal thursday morning, it looks exactly what you saw
I went to Valley Fair in San Jose yesterday and it was packed. The traffic was massive to get in. Lucky I had the patience to withstand it. It has a lot going for it. It also helps that Santana Row is across the street.
As someone that loved going to the movie theater back in the day, I stopped going because people don’t have common courtesy anymore. While the movie is playing, People are having full blown conversations. Checking their phones and taking phone calls. Kids yelling and crying. Just doing anything to disrupt the experience. I still remember seeing 3 movies in one day. That’s how much I loved to be at a movie theater. It’s very rare that I go. I haven’t gone once this year.
Yes, the Internet has played a huge factor, but what also played a big factor are the strip malls. You can find the strip malls everywhere and you can be in and out of them quicker than the whole mall experience which does not have many stores left. Many stores that you could only find a mall 20-30 years ago; you can now find in many strip malls that are usually closer to home and more convenient than having the crowds of the mall.
With regards to the movies, I agree you cannot beat the big screen experience, but they are pricing themselves out. It is easily over $50 for two tickets, a popcorn and drink. Plus, there just are not that many good movies playing anymore. It is mostly horror films.
Smaller old theaters are we're to go.
B.S. ITS NOT THE Internet. How come Walmart and dollar general and Ross and Marshall are thriving?
Cause they sell cheap shit.
It's strange because in Seoul, where I live, malls and movies are still packed at this time of the year. Amazon killed malls. It sucks.
Amazon and the internet. Also people got lazy
Excited for the next video on vhs vs beta
Don't forget the laser disc!
And after that 8 track vs vinyl vs cassette vs CD's
I noticed this mall had Penney’s and Macy’s. Both chains have closed many locations.
I worked at the 1st Raiders Image store in the Sun Valley Mall. I told myself I never wanted to work at a Mall, but there were some fun memories there. I ended up getting an offer from the team to open the first team stores in Southern California. I look at it this way, if I didn't take that job at the Mall, I wouldn't have been offered that position to move to SoCal, which would then have given me an opportunity to leave that job and work in entertainment for 20 plus years in Hollywood. Remember, everything happens for a reason.
I agree 100% .Same with Toys R us and Toy stores you could go to.As long as technology grows and convenience grows, shopping malls will go extinct for ever. It’s truly sad!😢
I was just in a packed mall today printing out stuff at the library branch here. It's also a transit center, movie theater, EV charging center, and a community center with some city offices. The Vancouver mall works because the whole area urbanized around it and it became a hub. Several other malls died out, but the ones that remain, are doing good. Sports based only? But the channel is your name, you should branch out more. After all we're here for you!
The thing that killed malls was they built too many, eventually the ones that are popular will remain and the ones they built as rapid expansion won't. The internet did do that, and its a good thing, we dont need 1 million acres of mall parking lots lol.
Malls in my youth were decorated with Christmas decorations everywhere with displays now it’s 🫤
It must be a Bay area thing. In Atlanta Lennox Mall and Phipps Plaza are both still packed all the time. They are also right across the street from each other which would typically cause less people in each mall because they are basically splitting the customer supply. I think the issue with this mall might be a result of it just being in the Oakland area or California. Some other states that don't have people practicing what seems to be a mass exodus don't have this issue. I can't speak for all of them and most lower tier malls have definitely lost over 90% of their customers. In Atlanta though the upper tier malls like Lennox and Phipps Plaza stay packed during the holiday season. Being able to try on high end clothes like Versace before you buy them still seems to have appeal to people. The only malls I know of that have survived have stores like that and Mayor's and Armani and Gucci and Prada and Chanel and Tiffany and Fendi etc. though. I guess people like to go to malls and actually touch the products before they pay $700 for a shirt or $900 on a sweater or whatever they like to buy at those stores. Also Hugh end jewelry and watches that cost anywhere from tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars are something you definitely want to buy in person. I never have but there's no way I would spend that kind of money on the internet for something I've never seen in person.
Great video Brodie Brazil I like the more diverse content.
Movie theater experience declined when people started incessantly being on their phones during screenings.
…because real life is less predictable than movies.
yes, the internet has impacted shopping in a major way, but don't discount the cost of gas and wear & tear on a vehicle as contributing factors. Most of the mall shoppers I saw were teenagers, young kids using going to the mall as a "social experience". Hanging out with friends, spending money on clothes, the arcade, maybe a movie? But as the cost of fuel and repairs have increased, these teenagers who usually get second-hand cars have invested more money into repairs, fuel and general upkeep. To them, its simply easier, and at least in MY area, less expensive to "order" clothing off of Amazon or Old Navy and get it in a day or two than to drive to a store, pay the same or higher price, including sales tax, gas and wear & tear on the vehicle. The "social experience" has in my opinion been replaced by "texting" so meeting friends at a mall to "hang out" is no longer necessary. If you want to SEE the person, Face Time is the thing now.
as a person from san jose, this video definitely caught me off guard. but knowing that you were focusing this video to stoneridge, because unfortunately, it has been left in the past. however, if you havent been to valley fair/santana row yet, i would highly suggest visiting for the day, because it is a fun place to be.
The mall I grew up frequenting (South Town) was just purchased by the Smith Entertainment Group and is being converted to a practice facility and business operations center for the Utah Hockey Club!
As far as the movie theater goes, it seems to me like they are squeezing more revenue in the form of higher ticket and concession prices (with less employees) out of fewer total customers. Just my opinion. No data to back that up. Sometimes the simplest observation is the right one.
Overseas especially in Kuwait, Qatar, etc are big on malls.
Interesting enough, the arena that the Winnipeg Jets play in was a harbinger for what you describe in the video. The arena sits on land which was once housed the flagship location of Eaton's, the biggest and one of the oldest department stores in Canada. Up until the late 80's, Eaton's was the reason that anyone went downtown. Eaton's went bankrupt 25 years ago and was subsequently bought by Sears. Well everyone knows what happened after that.
I feel the Internet with places like Amazon, and all of the streaming services for the most part has killed most mall, and movie theater locations. The first thing Amazon killed was a large number of book stores.
Now when it comes to jobs that an employee could do at any location that has an Internet connection a large number of companies are still pushing for butts in seats. This makes no sense to me.
In the 80’s the mall was the place to go and hang out…kind of sad how this has changed.
Brodie, I don't visit malls as much because malls don't have what I look for if it's not sports related. If I'm looking for merchandise of say, 90s video game series that weren't released outside of Japan, the last place I'll think of is a mall that's not Kintetsu (San Francisco). If I'm at a mall, it'll be to grab Jollibee's food in Great Mall usually, and I made a visit there maybe a month ago or so.
This is the thing that kind of shocks me about America.
I live half the year in Asia (Korea and Japan) and even though both countries are technologically advanced with prevalent internet shopping and video streaming and both countries half tons of public places like parks and squares, all their shopping malls and movie theaters are still packed with people all the time.
I’ve predicted this for a long time, by the end of the decade, shopping malls and movie theaters will become extinct and its thanks to shopping online and streaming respectively which saves time and money for most people.
my local downtown mall here in Salem Oregon is doing great, but that’s bcuz it’s centrally located & doesn’t require a car to get there. I think all these suburban malls are dying bcuz not everyone has a car to get there. We need to rebuild our cities to accommodate PEOPLE, not cars.
It’s interesting, the conversation not too long ago, was the malls are killing downtown shopping. Yes, I’m old and remember shopping, with my parents, in downtown Oakland. That was in the 50s. Then the Southland Mall opened in Hayward. There wasn’t a reason to drive to Oakland anymore. Shortly after, the Fremont Hub opened, you guessed it, no reason to drive all the way Hayward. I live in West Virginia now and shop at one of those sprawling shopping complexes anchored by several Big Box retailers and endless chain restaurants. Not complaining though, I live in a rural area (really rural) just a five minutes drive away. I guess it’s evolutionary.
I can still picture, in my mind, that bright giant red neon Montgomery Wards sign that you could see for miles away driving up the Nimitz Freeway, bound for shopping downtown.
Can’t leave without saying Ricky Henderson RIP.
The decline of Westfield San Francisco Centre has been sad to watch. Supposedly the property was due to be auctioned off this month, but I haven’t seen any updates.
It really is. Covid really killed the Westfield Centre, even though things were going bad for the Westfield Centre pre-covid when the Walgreens inside the Westfield Centre next to the food court closed.
Sunvalley on the same trajectory. Funny because back in the 90s ,parents would drive us down to Stoneridge because it was the more "upscale" feeling mall compared to Sunvalley.
Mall owners need to think outside the box to get people to shop there again. Here in South Jersey, the Hamilton Mall is dying but the Deptford Mall is thriving. Deptford added a bowling ally, a fitness center, plus replaced stores with new ones and the mall is doing great.
My brother used to live in Deptford. Deptford Mall is the best mall in all of New Jersey bare none.
The SF Premium Outlets in Livermore is crushing Stoneridge Mall in Pleasanton. Now, there is a new Costco over there as well. Let's not forget about the changing demographics in Pleasanto and the surrounding areas. Many immigrants now inhabit the tri-valley area and their tastes may not align with what the old style of indoor malls offer...
While the internet did have an impact on malls when one goes to a mall and the variety of stores is poor it isn't going to draw a lot of people. Malls need to diversify, and offer spaces for local businesses as well to gain support from the local community.
This makes me wonder if some sports fans would rather watch sports on TV at home rather than going to the actual game. The cost of going to a movie or sports event in person is expensive compared to in the past. In the past a movie took 6 months before you could rent the movie at Blockbuster & 11-12 months before the movie was on a premium channel such as HBO or Showtime. Today movies could be viewable on streaming services 30-90 days. Sports event tickets were cheaper in the past compared to today.
I’m in the suburbs north of Philly. We have at least 8 malls in a 30 minute radius. The only one thriving is King of Prussia, which is the largest and clearly the most upscale. I live par 5 distance from Montgomery Mall and it looks like the one you showed. The periphery stuff does great but the actual interior of the mall was dying pre-covid and is down to maybe 30% occupancy. The food court has 3 places open out of a dozen spots. It’s pretty wild when that parking lot was full all the time not that many years ago.
Even though I don't live in the US, I found this video interesting and I would love to see some more non sports videos on occasion
Just as arenas and stadiums have to be in entertainment districts, so must malls have apartments surrounding them.
Stonebriar Center in Frisco TX is doing really well, always full parking lot. We have had many in DFW that have gone under, but a few are doing well. 🤠👍
Good to hear Chris in Texas. The couple of times I visited DFW, last time was almost 20 years ago. It was the week between Christmas and New Year’s 2006-‘07, Stonebriar was the main mall probably in all of North Texas. Back East especially here in Upstate New York, the major cities such as Buffalo, Syracuse and The NYS Capital City Albany all have 1 major mall doing well. While the others in those cities and nearby suburbs are on life support being kind. Not counting the mini “outdoor strip malls” anchored by Walmart and or Target.
Doesn’t hurt that Frisco is 30 miles outside Dallas.
Thing is, I know both soccer fans (FC Dallas plays in Frisco) and FCS football fans who usually lament going to Frisco because there’s not enough bars and other amenities in that area on game days. Many cheered the news of the 2026 and 2027 championships playing in Nashville.
From my experiences, malls are still popular in larger urban areas. I've been to Hamilton, Ontario, Arlington, Virginia, and Orlando and they were crowded. In malls in Sanford, Florida, and Daytona, Florida, they're empty and many stores closed.
The Syracuse mall, DestiNY, is doing well because they turned it into a destination. There are activities. Escape rooms, rope courses (4 floors up)...
There's a non profit theater near me I go to all the time. They do tons of special programming like classics, cult favorites, and new movies that are coming out. There are definitely still good movie theaters out there to support!
Last time I was at the Mall was last Christmas so a year ago. Probably go over the next few days for a walk about but all my shopping is online.
I was just at Cumberland mall in suburban Atlanta (across from where the braves play) yesterday and I wanted to get TF out of that mall.
3 floors right? I’ve been there once. It’s near the Piccadilly.
I like this video that you just did. I like hearing about dead malls so I wouldn't mind seeing more of these videos on your channel 😊
In my hometown, a local mall was converted to office space for the state, county, and local governments and a few businesses that required fairly easy access to those offices. Unless malls can find an alternative use like that, they're all doomed.
Great video Brodie. I know for me personally, I find more value at shopping at outlet malls (ex: the Premium Outlets chain owned by the Simon group) than the regular mall mainly because there are better deals. This is in addition to online but I lean more towards outlet malls because I can actually try on what I am going to buy. My local mall (Alderwood Mall near Seattle) has transitioned to more of an urban village where in addition to stores, there is housing, a movie theater & multiple sit down restaurant chains. That is the model that malls need to transition to in my view in order to survive.
They said that Amazon accounted for 20% of all online Christmas shopping 😮😮😮
That is terrifying, not a huge fan of monopolies. Due to price control and people needing the best deal/convenance , Amazon usually wins out.
@@brandoncarpenter9681 Can we say Standard Oil and John D Rockefeller 21st Century edition with Amazon? Wow😮
Night and day difference compared to the malls in the Dallas Tx area. Can't even find a parking spot.
Ray Oldenburg coined the term “third place” it is the space designed for you to go outside of home and work. With a whole quarter of a generation not physically going to work it has eliminated the second place and if humans don’t have a routine of leaving their house they will make their home more comfortable and not go to third places- (malls, theaters, churches, bars, libraries, and gyms). If you go to an Open House, homes have gyms, offices, media rooms, and bars to cover everything a second and third place could offer.
Hey Brodie, I know you're mostly a sports guy, but given your familiarity with the Bay Area, how about doing a lengthy video on the San Francisco and Oakland Zoo's, comparing the two and what they could do to improve in the future, particularly the SF Zoo, given it's trouble and controversies in recent years.
Time to turn the malls into green space and inexpensive apartments and town houses.
Exactly. Fewer parking lot wastelands is a good thing
Do more topics like this Brodie. They are almost as interesting as sports talk. I live in Fairfield. My Mall is still very busy. However the Edwards Movie Theatre is not as busy as it used to be. Sometimes it looks like a ghost town. The Theatre is kept way to cold. Staff and seating are much better in near by Vacaville or Napa Theatres. ....Your video of that abandoned mall looked very much like the 1 here locally, except there are still many people walking around. Maybe not as many as 10 years ago. ....Great video tribute to the great Rickey Henderson. Thanks for that. .....I'm almost 65 so I go against your typical age demographic. :) -Kurt
You need to put it in context: what day is it, what time is it? Monday @ 9:00 AM? If its Sat/Sun 10:30 AM, that's a different story.
the new arcade in Stonestown is keeping it pretty busy. Just need places where people will actually go.
Shopping malls aren't what they once were. Your right Brodie, internet, particularly Amazon, Ebay and online sales from various companies, have limited peoples reasons for going shopping in person.
We can only hope. The malls need to make a comeback so we can actually socialize with people again.
Your points about the quality of television and movies at home is spot on, and the fact that the theater has little in the way of choice on what to see. Theaters aren't packed anymore because the time slots available to see a movie are numerous. Supply has outgrown demand. Theater hours of operation should change to reflect that giving the buying public a sense that going to a movie is a special event they have to plan for, and not something to do when (and if) they get around to it.
Midwest still has some popular malls, the good one was packed yesterday, also my home theater is way nicer than any movie theater, better projector and sound and I can hit my bong
I actually don’t go to the movies anymore because I know I can stream them later on Hulu to Netflix and so on. But I still enjoy visiting Malls. I like visiting different malls throughout the country. But I can see your point on the malls as well. Some like King of Prussia Mall to Mall of America that are popular continues to go strong. American Dream Mall in New Jersey to Destiny USA in Syracuse are also still doing well I am sure. I noticed Willow Grove Park Mall also hasn’t gone downhill yet either. But Exton Square, Plymouth Meeting Mall to Montgomery mall in the Philly area are kind of hanging on. So Malls still continue to be important for me as I enjoy visiting different malls.
Brodie. If you are interested, so am I.
Comparing your malls to the ones here in Glasgow, Scotland and wider UK is completely juxtaposing thing. The ones here are thriving, ours are getting back to 2019 highs. They are probably within about 3% for the most part.
Ours are rammed. Thing is, ours now have proper restaurants in there, they are ram packed. Not just a McDonalds, Burger King or KFC.
The London ones are a licence to print money. Weather plays a major part on it here, too cold/rainy go to the centre. Too warm, same, go to the centre. It’s a day out.
Even our cities and towns are starting to recover to a point. How are your downtown areas to our towns and cities.
Hi Brody. I am in the UK, we do not have the mega malls in the amount that you have. I have visited a few on vacation to your fair country. Our equivalent would be our city/town high streets and we had a similar issue here but the High Street is making a bit of a comeback. Regarding the cinemas, I like to visit the pictures first before streaming, used to be vidoes/DVDs! Just seen Gladiator 2 and Conclave but I agree there is not choice there used to be. Love your work, keep it up. a bit more Blue Jay's content would be nice!
This is my local mall. It’s dead. It’s been dead for years now. Part of it is that there was a point where people were getting robbed and assaulted in the parking lot by degenerate scumbags who’d BART in from Oak and the city to Pleasanton and hang out in the parking lots like a bunch of vulture losers.
I spent the Sunday before Christmas at two of our local malls ( one indoor one out door ) and they were both packed. We as a family go to the out door mall once a month or so, and there is always a pretty good amount of foot traffic.
My wife and I also are trying to use Amazon less and less. So this is the first time I’ve gone out for a few years to do my Christmas shopping.
I’m 18 and I live in Santa Cruz, me and my friend always hit up the Capitola mall even though it’s empty as hell, wish that malls would make a come back 😞
It's good to mix it up sometimes. Our mall is B
Being TORN down. That mall was my hangout place.
As far as malls go, you said it yourself. The future of that land is mixed residential. Their doing that with Bayfair, Hilltop and possibly Southland. So, there is a trade-pff. It may be a bit depressing to see the decline of the American mall, but if that land can be used to put a little bit of a dent in the housing crisis, there's your silver lining.
I got pulled over once in 1994 by CHP going over the Altamont Pass on my way to Stoneridge from Tracy. Had to get my Panasonic 3DO video game! I was only speeding to get over the hill, told CHP I may be doing 80 here but by the time I hit N Fynn Rd I am at 45 tops.
You went on a weekday where school was in session so that's why it was so slow. Stonebridge gets more traffic on weekends. Not like back in the day but more than hat you showed.
These kind of things Brodie....just suck. I'm also guilty of causing it.....I haven't been to a mall in over a year. If a mall has enough foot traffic around it for public transportation or it's got a "built in reason" for people to be there other than shopping/eating....then it's probably doing well. LOL "That old guy"....yeah, I used to be the "young guy", but that was 40 years ago.
My "usual" mall growing up in Boston is actually doing ok in Cambridge Mass...but it has lots of other reasons, MIT, Harvard, Boston University, Northeastern University around it. Plus it's 2 stops down from where the Boston Bruins and Boston Celtics play. Where I live now in North Texas...the malls are like Stoneridge. One of the biggest around here, Collin Creek Mall is being converted into housing, retail, a hotel and some office space in a 2 billion dollar renovation.
My local mall in the East bay Sunvalley mall is similar to Stoneridge the biggest difference is Round 1 bowling and arcade. That place is open until 2am daily and remains packed. From what i can I tell at least in Bay Area suburbs, while malls are struggling I still see outdoor shopping centers doing well. The Veanda in Concord for example has an IMAX theater as the main sellig point while having a Dave and Busters, a mystery escape room, an outdoor space for kids, plenty of better food options than a mall would offer and decent shopping. Malls just in 2024 and beyond seem to be too big now with just alot of fluff that folks today won't go out of their way for.
Stoneridge mall used to be one of my most frequented places in the Bay Area. Heck, I got my first Sharks jersey at the Sharks store at Stoneridge Mall. Yes, they had a Sharks store at Stoneridge Mall, and it was AWESOME!!!
The smell of Cinnabon wafting through the stores, Macy’s, Victoria’s Secret, Hot Topic, Sbarro’s,Disney Store. Ya, Miss Stoneridge Mall.
I used to work at a movie theater in Hilltop Mall in Richmond back in the early-mid 90s That mall has been shut down for years though now. I was at Sunvalley Mall in Concord last week. Was pretty busy and it was on a Monday.
Depends on location and what is out there. I live in Greenville, SC and Heywood Mall has been a packed house for the holidays. Even on weekends its a packed house. It depends on its the area to be honest and what is out there in the local area.
I've been there a few times back in the late 80's early 90s. It seemed to be a big mall from what I remember, but I was going to school in Davis and grew up in Stockton.
My wife and I took our sons (5 and 2) to see Santa on Friday and it looked like a mild Tuesday night rather than days before Christmas. I recall shopping here with my family in early December back in the late 90s and it would be packed.
Bay Fair Mall is even more pathetic and was far longer. I used to go there once a week with my siblings and grandmother in the summers in the early to mid 90s.
There used to be SEVERAL good reasons to go to the mall. For women there was plenty of shopping at the 3 or 4 anchor stores, plus many other womens clothes boutiques, jewelry, purses, BB&B, Forever 21, movie theater, and on and on.
Malls didn't really cater to guys but there was the movie theater, food court, lots of magazines/books at Waldenbooks/B Dalton, Spencers, Babbages, Suncoast Video, Video Concepts or Circuit City, Towers records, and on and on.
I don't think there's anything besides food court and a comic book movie that caters to guys at the mall anymore so half the population is cut out from the start.
Finally, sad to say, people used to dress sharp/look good when they went to the mall. Nowadays you might walk into the mall entrance and immediately get so distressed by what you see just turn around and walk back out, never to return.