The Evolution of the Shopping Centre in North America

The idea of the shopping centre is nothing new. In fact, shopping centres have been around in many countries for centuries, although they tend to go by different names. In North America, the term “shopping centre” for some refers to an open air retail complex, although it is used interchangeably by most people with the term “shopping mall”.

Transition to the suburbs

North America only began to take on the look that we would associate with “modern” after the end of World War II, in the 1950s. During this time, people began moving en masse to cities for work and convenience, but many were not interested in living close to the industrialized centres of cities. Instead, they located their homes in neighbourhoods built slightly out of the way. As more and more people began living in the suburbs, the demand for convenience shopping grew. Stores began to follow consumers out of the city, often locating themselves centrally and grouping together to cut down costs of land or rental space. Eventually, these stores began to share a roof as well as walkways in front and parking lots. As malls grew bigger, and more floors were added, escalators and elevators became commonplace. Large parking areas and security were also added, making the shopping centre very appealing.

The mall as an area of socialization

As time went by, shopping centres began to not only be used for convenience, but also for social purposes. Parents who stayed at home would often use the mall as a place to meet up with other adults, and teens have always been attracted to the shopping and socializing aspects of malls (shopping centres offer a measure of security that parents tend to appreciate).

The mall hit its stride as an area for socializing in the 1980s, with historic West Edmonton Mall leading the way. Not only was this mall the biggest in the world for twenty years, but it was (and still is) the ultimate in mall social gatherings, incorporating not only hundreds of stores, but movie theatres, an amusement park, a skating rink, and a water park.

The food court is another sign of malls as gathering places, with most shopping centres including several varieties of restaurants conveniently placed all in one area.

The fall of the mall?

In recent years, shopping centres have not received the kind of popular attention in North America that they were known for in the past. In their essence, big box stores are essentially malls with the walls ripped out; everything you need under one roof, in one store. Some of these stores even include the in-house food concept.

Still, people continue to be drawn to malls both for the social aspects and the variety of shops and services they provide. The concept of the mall is still undergoing changes, as those in many big cities are now connecting to each other via overhead or underground passageways. If you thought remembering where you parked your car was hard before, you haven’t seen anything yet!

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