Nothing is more disappointing than waiting for what has felt like years for a package to be delivered and once it arrives the product looks nothing like the picture online. Shopping online has never been so accessible, but it definitely has its disadvantages.

Over the years, online shopping has become easier to access and more popular. A constant fear for retailers has been the idea of in-person shopping becoming obsolete. According to Forbes, a total of 15,542 different stores closed their doors throughout 2020 for various reasons. The closure of businesses has been an issue across the board, the Empire Mall beings a prime example.

For the past 45 years, the Empire Mall has catered to its guests with national retailers, local tenants and many other accommodations. In 2012, Simon Property Group, the largest shopping center operator in the United States, became the new owners of the Empire Mall. Some of the most popular retail stores at the Empire Mall including GAP, Justice and Banana Republic have all closed their doors in the past six months. Since it first opened in 1975, many changes have been made as new normals have been created and society has grown as a whole. Due to these constant changes, an abundance of businesses are struggling to stay afloat.

“Not all businesses make it all the time,” said Carrie Proehl, a Specialty Leasing Representative for Simon Property Group. 

Proehl focuses on assisting tenants to find out what will work best for their specific business. As new tenants move into the mall, different audiences are drawn in, creating even more interest for the pre-existing stores. 

In hopes of keeping the title of the largest one-story mall in the United States, the Empire Mall will be adding more to its campus soon. With additional businesses coming in, new traffic will be introduced to the environment boosting business for the community of retailers.

“We have businesses at the mall that draws in and creates a synergy for other businesses,” states Proehl.

Although the luxury of shopping with just a few clicks may be convenient, the concept of shopping in person also has its positive aspects. There is no waiting for shipping and delivery when buyers purchase their items at a store in comparison to buying online.

“The people I see having successes are the people who were able to adapt to the changes. If you are willing to adapt to it, you are probably surviving,” adds Proehl.

As society advances in technology and trends, the relevance of malls still has not gone away as of now. The culture of shopping is constantly changing and moving forward, so there is truly no way to predict the future, but instead, modify current habits to the new ways of the world.