I know it's something we've generally talked about before, but does anyone know the reasons why they suddenly became huge for so long. From what I've seen, the mall really took off in 1982. That was the first year with a high percentage of '80s pop culture, and they probably go hand in hand. It also took over from roller rinks as being the popular hangout place (especially for teens)...which continued well into the '90s.

I remember my mom once said that in the '70s it wasn't a teenage hangout at all, and that it was more someplace that old ladies went, lol. Did it just catch on with younger people because of places to shop for fashion and clothes?

Well, our Sunvalley Mall (which was built in 1967) was somewhat of a hangout from the time it opened until even now because it did have a theatre attatched to it and also a skating rink, so I think those two places made it more popular with the kids. It also had the "World's Fair" food court (this was gone by the time I could remember). Nowadays, it has about 5-10 stores from when I remember it at a young age, and most of them are aimed at teenagers or young 20-somethings. It doesn't have a theatre nor a rink, but still draws a lot of people in.

Our other local Mall, County East, has generally not been as popular, yet it is getting more hip stores which are attracting more young people. It's never had a theatre or any real "main" attraction to it, so it's been a more low key hangout for kids.

Even as a little kid, I always saw lots of kids and teens hanging out at the mall. When I became a teen myself, I didn't always go to the mall. When I did go, I would see a ton of people from my school usually hanging around the food court.

I think it has to do with the advent of the food court....who in the 80s didn't get an orange julius and then hog the tables for hours...that and arcades. I think in the 80s every mall had an arcade put in... stores started marketing to teens and the teens came! Plus like Hot Stuff said there were movie theaters so we'd meet up go to the movies then hang out afterward.

I'm guessing in places like the midwest & the east people just liked shopping someplace climate controlled!  ;D

Even as a little kid, I always saw lots of kids and teens hanging out at the mall. When I became a teen myself, I didn't always go to the mall. When I did go, I would see a ton of people from my school usually hanging around the food court.


Me too. My mom especially liked going to the mall back then. So did my babysitters. When I was, let's say 7 years old, I'd be thinking, Hey I can't wait to do this when I'm older! Even though I did (and even today still do occasionally) it's not quite the same as I'd hoped. I think this is one reason I was nostalgic for the '80s during the '90s. By the time I was old enough to go to the party, it had changed somewhat, so I almost felt cheated out the experience, lol.

The major mall here was not built until 1983 (i believe) and I Can still remember when it was just an open field.  The other two smaller malls here at the time were the malls where everyone went, and as a kid, I always saw a good chunk of teens there, mostly though becuase both malls had an actual arcade

Our First major mall Eastview was opened in 1971,I loved it record shops, clothing stores,book stores,food establishments, the arcade & my bank all in the same place. Then I got older,got married and moved alittle farther away and was lucky if I got to go there once a year. My kids love to go when ever they get a chance (usually with their friends) for them it's a little slice of heaven,and my son says a chance to buy decent clothes and look at the popular stuff.

I think it has to do with the advent of the food court....who in the 80s didn't get an orange julius and then hog the tables for hours...that and arcades. I think in the 80s every mall had an arcade put in... stores started marketing to teens and the teens came! Plus like Hot Stuff said there were movie theaters so we'd meet up go to the movies then hang out afterward.

I'm guessing in places like the midwest & the east people just liked shopping someplace climate controlled!  ;D


I remember our County East Mall had an arcade called Pocket Change. It's been long gone, but that use to draw a lot of kids - and young kids like myself.

I actually remember when it was an open air mall, and then when it was built into an indoor mall.

I think it has to do with the advent of the food court....who in the 80s didn't get an orange julius and then hog the tables for hours...that and arcades. I think in the 80s every mall had an arcade put in... stores started marketing to teens and the teens came! Plus like Hot Stuff said there were movie theaters so we'd meet up go to the movies then hang out afterward.

I'm guessing in places like the midwest & the east people just liked shopping someplace climate controlled!  ;D


Ahhhhh, Orange Julius! That and the Dairy Queen, A&W, and Sbarro pizza were the most popular at the food court among my friends and peers.  :)

Ahhhhh, Orange Julius! That and the Dairy Queen, A&W, and Sbarro pizza were the most popular at the food court among my friends and peers.  :)


Yes, we had all those same places... Mmmm, those A & W hot dogs and root beer and fries - yum yum. The Orange Julius was tasty, too. We still have Sbarro pizza at both our malls.

hey if you are really nostalgic about malls and mall culture check out  www.deadmalls.com

Where I live, we have Randall Park Mall. In the 50's, they started to form. In the 60's, they were abundant. In the 70's they had a lot of profit. In the 80's, they were popular. In the 90's, the weaker malls (Such as Randall Park) died-out. Now, we have Mega-Malls and the others got converted into Shopping Centers.

This is the same thing that happened to Movie Theaters.

hey if you are really nostalgic about malls and mall culture check out   www.deadmalls.com


The stories on that website are both fascinating and sad to read.

I think it has to do with the advent of the food court....who in the 80s didn't get an orange julius and then hog the tables for hours...that and arcades. I think in the 80s every mall had an arcade put in... stores started marketing to teens and the teens came! Plus like Hot Stuff said there were movie theaters so we'd meet up go to the movies then hang out afterward.

I'm guessing in places like the midwest & the east people just liked shopping someplace climate controlled!  ;D


  Yeah, you could really make a day of it.  Food, shopping, movies, games.  Everything was there.  As a teen I never just ducked in, bought something, then ducked out.  We spent the whole afternoon...

  It was the place to see and be seen in.  We could get in some skirt chasing, networking and general elbow rubbing without being in school.  We could meet new enemies and old friends, or the other way around.  Who was with who and who broke up with whom.  It was the House floor for teenage politics...

Agreed with Davester - it was somewhere to hang out that was relatively safe and parent approved. I used to love meeting up with friends and spending hours just messing around... before it got dark obviously.  ;D

I know it's something we've generally talked about before, but does anyone know the reasons why they suddenly became huge for so long.


Simple. There's more parking.

Shopping malls are the direct result of the post-war economic boom that allowed so many people to move out of cities and into the suburbs. With more space to build, and the ability for potential customers to get around in their own cars, malls popped up anywhere the people led them. That's probably an oversimplified explanation, but you get the idea. If you take away any one of those factors, then malls as we know them now probably wouldn't exist. After all, you wouldn't build a business where people don't live or can't easily get to, right?

As for why the kids like 'em so much...it's just another place to hang out. I did it myself in my younger days.

That being said, have you ever tried to walk or bike from store to store in a suburban shopping district? It's a pain, and proof that malls (outside of the stories themselves) are *not* pedestrian-friendly. It's a conspiracy hatched by General Motors and the merchants!! :)

^ Good points, I agree with the conveinence factor. As more people migrated to the suburbs, it made economic sense to have alot of popular stores in one area. Yeah, the mall parking lots tend to be a headache.

I hadn't thought about the food court bringing in the cooler as well as younger crowds, but that's probably accurate too. It wasn't just a place to shop, it was a place to eat as well as be entertained in other ways (seeing a movie, playing arcade games).

What's even sadder is that I bet the classic style malls actually would've kept going if it weren't for downloading and portable technology taking off as it had. This keeps people either at home, or able to get the entertainment offered there elsewhere. Like I've said before, malls still had their '80s layouts well into the '90s. It was only about 4-6 years ago that alot of the classic stores really started going under, because there was no longer a large enough demand for them. I live in a pretty big metro area, so it's even more prone to changes like that around here.