This document summarizes a student's photowalk project exploring how malls have adapted to changing consumer shopping behaviors. The student photographed areas of declining attendance and empty storefronts at a local mall. However, the mall has attempted to attract niche retailers targeting local interests to replace mainstream stores struggling with the rise of online shopping. While some stores catering to pop culture and loyal customer bases have survived, the near-empty state of the mall calls into question how much longer it can last without more customers.

1. Boulevard Mall
April 29, 2018
Anthony Musso
Dr. Johnson
SOC 270-Community Studies
Photowalk Slideshow

2. - The section I chose to expand my research on is entitled
“The Malling of the Land”.
- The section focuses on the origin and use of malls
throughout time, and how it has influenced shopping
habits and community involvement.
- I wanted to look further into the modern impact of malls
in society, as many are facing financial struggles due to
changing climates in consumer shopping methods.

3. In The Urban World, J. John Palen goes into detail about the impact of
malls, describing them as epicenters of finance and a place of socialization
in communities. Despite this, modern shopping methods have decreased
the necessity of malls in their traditional form, mainly a place to purchase
clothing or knick knacks. This has resulted in many malls across the country
shutting down or, as in the case of the Boulevard Mall, developing stores
for niche markets (people looking for unique things that fit their interests,
not necessarily mainstream interests).I wanted to look at how businesses
adapt to these changes and which businesses fail or prosper because of
them.

4. The Changing Economy
- Malls are shopping centers, reliant on people going to multiple stores at a time to make
mass purchases.
- An increase in online shopping has been named a top culprit as to the decline of
shopping malls’ prominence.
- E-commerce apparel sales, meaning the amount of clothes bought online, are currently
at 17%, and that number is expected to rise to 35.7% within 15 years.

5. This graph presents the increase in mall
vacancy since 2000.

6. Weakening Attendance

7. The near empty parking lot located near one
main entrance, JCPenney, and the former
location on Macy's Men's.

8. Two hallway sections seemingly
deserted.

9. The near-empty main foyer of the mall.

10. Recently closed store; I believe it used
to be Aerie.

11. Entrance to the once popular Sears, now closed
due to bankruptcy.

12. Adapting to New
Shoppers

13. Along with Lids and Tee Shirt University, Laux
and Champs cater to the ever present sports
fans in the community.

14. In order to appeal to the local community and
tourists, local owned shops have become more
prominent in recent years, like BFLO.

15. What was once a thriving Hollister, is now a
privately owned, quiet comic book store.

16. Stores like FYE, Hot Topic, and Spencer's have
survived the malls decline thanks in part to pop
culture collectables, outrageous shirts, and novelty
candies.

17. This Verizon sits between two closed stores and
an empty kiosk, likely able to continue business
through customers on long standing payment
contracts.

18. Unable to maintain it's own building, Macy's
Men's now exists in the upstairs of the main
Macy's store.

19. As online gaming increases, GameStops close
and open the door for stores like WetVapes, a
store for very specific customers to make in-
store purchases.

20. This reflection has increased my understanding of the chapter by allowing
me to modernize and localize Palen’s studies. It has allowed me to look not
only at the impact that malls have on society, but that society has on
malls. Malls are meant to be social and economic epicenters but they only
exist as long as people need them to. Without paying customers malls
become empty and useless, and it's a downhill slope when it comes to
losing those customers.
The Photowalk experience allowed me to look at how this is impacting my
own community. I have seen the Boulevard Mall adapt to losing customers
through locally owned stores like BFLO, big name stores like Dick's
Sporting Goods, and stores with loyal customers like WetVapes. The mall
continues to stay open thanks to these establishments, and maintains it's
usefulness, but as I walked through a near empty building in the middle of
the day, it had me questioning how long this will be able to last.

21. Sources
McBride, Bill. “Reis: Regional Mall Vacancy Rate
declines slightly.” calculatedriskblog.com. 2018.
Web. 9 Jan. 2012.
McCoy, Kevin. “Are shopping malls an endangered
species?” usatoday.com. 2018. Web. 17 Jun. 2017.
Palen, J. John. The Urban World. 10th ed. NY,
Oxford University Press, 2015.