The shopping mall has been a staple in American culture for decades. "Along with power mowers, [birth control], antibiotics. smoke detectors, transistors, and personal computers, the shopping mall was selected as one of the top 50 wonders that have revolutionized the lives of consumers." (Consumer Reports, 1986) The shopping mall earned a glowing review from Consumer Reports back in 1986, but how did the shopping mall come to be?
Back in the 1950s, the average American had nowhere to go to mingle with others their age. Victor Bruen aimed to change that by creating what he called "worlds unto themselves" free from dirt, life, bad weather, and troubles.
The very first shopping mall opened in Minneapolis in 1956, and immediately it was a hit. In the following years, thousands of malls opened, and by 1960 4,500 malls were operating in the United States and accounted for 14% of all retail sales. By 1987 that number had increased to 30,000 malls accounting for over 50% of all sales. Malls were at their peak, but would it last forever?
Unfortunately not. With the invention of the internet and the boom of e-commerce, malls have slowly fallen out of favor with the American population. Malls are closing at an alarming rate, and these huge buildings are difficult to get rid of, leaving them to decay as a result of Mother Nature.
Fun Facts:
- Frank Lloyd Wright hated the first Minneapolis mall.
- Victor Gruen hated what his creation became.
- The Mall of America has an amusement park, flight simulators, and an aquarium.
The first shopping mall:
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