Is the era of shopping malls over? Not quite … if mall operators can tap their creative sides

by Dan Rafter

The Midwest is home to plenty of dead or dying shopping malls, indoor ghost towns that once buzzed with families dining at food courts, teens hanging at clothing stores and young couples holding their first dates at multiplex movie theaters.

What went wrong with these dead malls? Why did the shoppers stop coming?

And does the growing number of dead malls mean that the era of the massive enclosed shopping mall is over?

Not quite. While a distressingly high number of Midwest malls are struggling to keep their doors open, others are thriving. What separates the dying mall from the thriving one? Plenty, according to Midwest retail experts.

Read the full story on the REJournals blog here.