tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-125672882012-01-07T18:27:46.391-05:00News and commentary on retail history, dead malls, and a chaotic culture in decline.Brian Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051618559212272250noreply@blogger.comBlogger701100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12567288.post-4787139154833071572011-05-23T12:49:00.000-04:002011-05-23T12:49:19.977-04:00

http://kunstler.com/blog/2011/05/the-song-of-spring.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+clusterfucknation+%28Clusterfuck+Nation%29 James Howard Kunstler takes a ride up rural NY route 22 for some eye-catching observations on today's little towns and their society.

Brian Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051618559212272250noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12567288.post-52914067811849431602011-03-24T13:35:00.005-04:002011-05-03T19:44:37.695-04:00

Good article that discusses the history of the mall, and how it can be relevant in the future. "The enclosed mall ... is as dead as your average big-city newspaper. Which is to say: not dead yet, exactly, but no one’s betting on its future. Except for a few real estate developers, no one seems all that sad to see the Galleria in such a beleaguered state. The old-fashioned enclosed mall exists

Brian Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051618559212272250noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12567288.post-65646459310779931842011-03-03T13:37:00.000-05:002011-03-03T13:37:00.557-05:00

The rich are spending more money...   they make up 5% of the population, and contributed 35% to the economy 3rd quarter of 2009.   Read about it here: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41764955/ns/business-personal_finance/

Brian Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051618559212272250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12567288.post-68084891438156871342011-02-11T13:56:00.001-05:002011-02-11T13:58:33.339-05:00

The suburban shopping mall has fallen on hard times, and Ellen Dunham-Jones, co-author of “Retrofitting Suburbia: Urban Design Solutions for Redesigning Suburbs,” is thrilled, frankly. “Every time we see a dead mall, it’s ‘Yay! Another opportunity to get it right,’ ” said Ms. Dunham-Jones, a professor of architecture at Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta. Ms. Dunham-Jones sees in the

Jack Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04433729450780535836noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12567288.post-37159953088382190772011-01-13T10:55:00.002-05:002011-01-13T10:55:35.459-05:00

So what happened to Borders? An early innovator in controlling inventory, there was expert staff at its Ann Arbor headquarters and store managers who believed in the value of book-selling. At its peak, Borders superstores had all the attributes of good book-selling—extensive selections, browsing space, coffee bars, and outreach programs to surrounding communities. In 1998, Borders shares hit an

Brian Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051618559212272250noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12567288.post-10392663171000896882011-01-07T20:46:00.000-05:002011-01-07T20:46:16.648-05:00

According to reports released this week, the 2010 holiday retail season was a slight improvement.   Here are a couple of articles with different perspectives: National revenue figures detail strong holiday sales period:  http://www.argusleader.com/article/20110107/BUSINESS/110107029/1003 Best holiday for retail sales in 4 years http://www.newsday.com/business/best-holiday-for-retail-sales-in-4

Brian Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051618559212272250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12567288.post-34341783253869915392010-12-27T22:15:00.001-05:002010-12-27T22:15:59.979-05:00

Retail sales jump more than 5% for holidays, reports sayRelease of pent-up demand sends retail sales soaring for holidaysThis is good news for retailers, but not for all of them.  January 6th is when the individual chains will release their sales figures. http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-biz-1228-holiday-spending-20101227,0,374794.story

Brian Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051618559212272250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12567288.post-65378874438378677002010-08-20T00:04:00.001-04:002010-08-20T00:26:22.070-04:00

http://www.mainstreet.com/article/small-business/franchises/what-do-dead-mall?page=1"We installed a curtain in our food court and used it to create an events center,” Poole says. That small step proved to be very effective. “It’s become a vibrant place where people can hold weddings and other events.”

Anita Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03110320888101454580noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12567288.post-41466077040702917062010-07-06T15:51:00.003-04:002010-07-06T15:54:42.139-04:00

In a rush of nostalgia, residences of the northeastern Mid-Atlantic and New England areas flocked to local area malls in search of the hallowed air-conditioned hallways of America's most sought after shopping and social meccas. Now, if only this were true! Did you go to the mall today? Can we assume that the intensity of the air-conditioning is directly proportional to the amount of

Brian Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051618559212272250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12567288.post-45686159027506210452010-02-17T19:03:00.003-05:002010-02-17T19:08:35.627-05:00

This has direct relevance to Dead Malls. Simon is preparing to acquire General Growth properties. Simon is already the largest mall owner in the United States. There will be many redundant mall locations if this takeover is approved, and many more closings.http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704804204575069081644845898.html?mod=WSJ_Markets_MIDDLETopNews

Brian Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051618559212272250noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12567288.post-78274354477904803852010-02-12T20:05:00.001-05:002010-02-12T20:06:09.239-05:00

Interesting article on a once bustling commercial strip in the Albany, NY area that has since become desolate due to the shifting of retail to other locations nearby and the dwindling economy in general. Businesses are abandoning formerly thriving commercial strips   var omniture_APvSTAFF; By CHRIS CHURCHILL, Staff writer omniture_APvSTAFF = "Staff writer";

Jack Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04433729450780535836noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12567288.post-85310499311126054492010-01-29T23:49:00.005-05:002010-01-30T00:00:16.958-05:00

It is the ideal location for a post-modern horror, this shopping mall with no shoppers in the days before Christmas. It starts directly with the entrance: a vast, deserted parking lot, an entrance above the red neon lights only on one side burns. Inside: empty corridors. The canned voice of Julie Andrews echoes through the deserted room, the only sign that something is alive. Her "favorite things

Brian Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051618559212272250noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12567288.post-91377570921134217822009-12-31T05:05:00.001-05:002009-12-31T05:05:41.285-05:00

"DeadMalls.com is celebrating a decade of recording the death rattles of American shopping malls. Chronicling the nasty and brutish lives of malls throughout the fifty states with pictures and anecdotes, the site launched in 2000 and celebrates its first ten years next month. It seems a remarkably appropriate tenure."http://www.mediaite.com/online/

Brian Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051618559212272250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12567288.post-83710520301179519872009-11-26T21:03:00.001-05:002009-11-26T21:04:20.712-05:00

Another Black Friday is upon us. How many malls do you know have shuttered since Black Friday, 2008?

Anita Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03110320888101454580noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12567288.post-63540058942792104182009-11-22T18:15:00.000-05:002009-11-22T18:15:28.122-05:00

 Photo courtesy of Ebay and Sylelist As the latest news reports have stated, this year's JCPenney Big Book catalog will be the last one, ending a 36 year old tradition. The company cites increasing costs of production and mailing of the massive catalogs and a dwindling consumer base in contrast to the ever increasing online shopping choices. According to the article at Stylelist, at the

Jack Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04433729450780535836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12567288.post-53393811894547548132009-09-29T09:10:00.001-04:002009-09-30T15:59:37.366-04:00

A German article about US Shopping Malls. (the link has already been translated through Google Translation).Be sure to check out the photos, very interesting. Especially the "Jesus Shopping Center."

Anita Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03110320888101454580noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12567288.post-40961886961259243182009-09-21T12:24:00.004-04:002009-09-21T12:29:49.692-04:00

Article about Festival Bay Mall in Orlando.Conceived in the go-go days of the 1990s, Festival Bay Mall was envisioned as a thriving entertainment destination. But the mall has struggled since it opened in 2003, and tenants say things have spiraled downward in recent months.

Anita Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03110320888101454580noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12567288.post-25566247089707981562009-09-13T15:14:00.001-04:002009-09-13T15:16:56.341-04:00

"Abandoned strip centers, malls can be reborn, says architecture professor Ellen Dunham-Jones"

Anita Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03110320888101454580noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12567288.post-11712247670363168352009-08-20T23:37:00.001-04:002009-08-20T23:39:05.094-04:00

An in-depth review and personal reflection on malls and our lives. And, a very nice honorable mention:"Deadmalls.com is not the name of a Romero-style horror film, although I suppose it could be, but a website started by Peter Blackbird and Brian Florence, who upon discovering the number of abandoned malls in the U.S. set out to document these fading monuments of American civilization."Check it

Brian Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051618559212272250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12567288.post-18450701623912888682009-08-12T10:09:00.002-04:002009-08-12T10:15:22.230-04:00

A quick mention for us by the people at Worldchanging who tries to solve the planet's problems. Also notice this post from the site of an image essay on the future of malls.

Anita Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03110320888101454580noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12567288.post-6958856778615937152009-07-30T14:44:00.002-04:002009-07-30T14:45:49.109-04:00

Some good promotion for the documentary project that Deadmalls.com appears in. Roger Ebert, famous movie reviewer, takes a look at Malls R Us. His review is available here.http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090729/REVIEWS/907299995/-1/RSS

Brian Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051618559212272250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12567288.post-49229421787631495912009-07-22T13:01:00.001-04:002009-07-22T13:03:21.197-04:00

Alas, a reporter dares to peer into the fate of Howard Johnson's 2009. Last we heard, LaMancha Group purchased the rights to the recipies with promises of resurrecting the once great Landmark of Hungry Americans, but to no avail.http://www.milforddailynews.com/opinion/x1767085240/Chesto-Fading-HoJos-chain-seeks-new-knight-in-shining-armor

Brian Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051618559212272250noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12567288.post-4654170317398398092009-06-30T11:25:00.003-04:002009-06-30T11:27:57.203-04:00

With the fall of Birmingham's Century Plaza, U.S. News and World Report's Rick Newman examines the rest of the country's malls to determine who's likely to fall next, in an article entitled America's Most Endangered Malls, appearing on Yahoo Business. Within the article, to contrast the list, is a list of the most profitable malls as well.

Brian Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051618559212272250noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12567288.post-42847539716042520702009-06-03T02:11:00.002-04:002009-06-03T02:18:37.599-04:00

(Photo © Birmingham News)Birmingham's Century Plaza mall, a once-thriving retail hub that hemorrhaged shoppers and stores as the metro area's population shifted to the suburbs, closed its doors for good on Sunday. ---I found a beautiful panorama shot of the mall on Flickr.

Anita Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03110320888101454580noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12567288.post-46557454530379731612009-05-31T23:09:00.002-04:002009-05-31T23:11:37.115-04:00

This New York Times chart shows the depth of drop in sales from the first quarter of 2009.

Anita Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03110320888101454580noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12567288.post-57443055297569775512009-05-23T23:07:00.003-04:002009-05-26T20:48:47.644-04:00

KCCI Des Moines article that references the Wall Street Journal article about dead malls. Mentions that their mall, Southridge Mall is considered a "dead mall".(includes video of the mall)There was also an article very similar to the Southridge Mall, the Towne Mall in Middletown, Ohio.

Anita Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03110320888101454580noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12567288.post-80684421839901348622009-05-23T10:02:00.005-04:002009-05-23T10:07:56.614-04:00

By KRIS HUDSON and VANESSA O'CONNELLMalls, those ubiquitous shopping meccas that sprang up in the 1950s, are dwindling in number, with many struggling properties reduced to largely vacant shells.Read this very in-depth article that summarizes the mall as it relates to the economic conditions today that are effectively crippling it as a profitable business model.  Although, these days what

Brian Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051618559212272250noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12567288.post-86240416727262137802009-05-20T21:33:00.002-04:002009-05-20T21:40:21.922-04:00

Picture © Andrew Pakula A blogger's pictures and comments about Honeydale Mall in Canada.

Anita Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03110320888101454580noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12567288.post-66405698308473896012009-05-11T20:00:00.007-04:002009-05-11T20:15:26.448-04:00

Posted on Monday May 11th by Jebediah Reed from The Infrastructurist at www.infrastructurist.com...Malls are being mauled. In case you’ve been paying closer attention to Wall Street or the housing market, rest assured that America’s once-bustling shopping meccas are doing just as poorly.Last month, General Growth Properties, the country’s second largest mall owner, declared bankruptcy. Anchor

Brian Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051618559212272250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12567288.post-34285673665661849792009-05-09T14:03:00.004-04:002009-05-10T22:09:00.330-04:00

I spoke with reporter Guy Tridgell about Lincoln Mall, and the shift of the mall culture in general, and what leads to the demise of the mall, or the consequence, depending on how you look at it.Lincoln Mall is sick. The piped music and the shiny floors, the jewelry stores occupying every corner and the kiosks selling watches and cell phones tell you the mall is doing just fine.The dusty

Brian Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051618559212272250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12567288.post-23279860304920810102009-05-07T00:46:00.005-04:002009-05-09T13:39:26.310-04:00

(Photo taken by Brian Florence ©2001)Albany Times Union article about one of the malls on our site, Latham Circle Mall in Latham, New York."It's a dead mall. It's a morgue."

Anita Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03110320888101454580noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12567288.post-60760853402742183352009-04-28T20:34:00.004-04:002009-05-02T12:26:23.477-04:00

What happens when the first domino of the chain that eventually kills a mall has already been knocked over, and the alarm bells are sounding? Find out in this article about some Phoenix area malls titled E.V. mall owners shopping for business.

Anita Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03110320888101454580noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12567288.post-77809531213965042562009-04-26T22:48:00.005-04:002009-04-26T22:58:26.851-04:00

Norm Feuti produces a comic strip dedicated to topics of retail.   One particular strip titled "Signs that your Mall is in Trouble" caught my eye.   Take a look:Retail ©2008 Norm FeutiIt may be presented in a humorous way, but yet I have to pause and think about how true it really is.

Brian Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051618559212272250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12567288.post-17762107250635474442009-04-17T13:09:00.003-04:002009-04-19T04:45:26.575-04:00

An Interview with Brian Ulrich Brian is known for taking photos of dead stores. His website is notifbutwhen.C: What are some of these things you want to get to, exactly? BU: I'm working on the chapter of my bigger project called Dark Stores, Ghostboxes and Dead Malls -- not just the changing retail landscape, but also the change in our economy and an economic model that has been in place since

Anita Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03110320888101454580noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12567288.post-55612666645677827472009-04-16T11:01:00.003-04:002009-04-16T15:56:00.679-04:00

With the downturn in the economy and analysts now speculating that the end is farther away that originally anticipated, and today's announcement of General Growth Properties bankruptcy filing, the realization that malls are suffering continues to be at the forefront of the news.Roger Koskela of the Kitsap Sun (near Seattle, WA) asks the question, "Are Shopping Malls Endangered?". The answer of

Brian Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051618559212272250noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12567288.post-49191456567585480962009-04-12T18:00:00.003-04:002009-04-15T20:54:10.619-04:00

Columbia University's Columbia News Service reports on the long existing and ever increasing downfall of the suburban retail environment and how it could become even more widespread with the current hard economic times."A skinny young minister in black pants and a golf shirt paces around a riser in the middle of a cavernous room as he preaches to the thousands of people sitting all around him on

Jack Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04433729450780535836noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12567288.post-83995622954467913962009-04-12T06:11:00.003-04:002009-04-12T06:16:22.982-04:00

South Carolina's The Sun News looks at the faltering Inlet Square Mall in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina and finds that its woes are part of a nationwide trend:"This is a challenging time for malls across the nation, which are being squeezed by the credit crunch at the same time that consumers scale back and retailers go out of business. People's appetites for luxury and discretionary items are

Alan David Doanenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12567288.post-54204442445876643352009-04-10T10:52:00.003-04:002009-04-10T11:00:20.943-04:00

The Austin Business Journal reports on a Dillards store that is trying to get out of its lease after Highland Mall's developers allowed it to become what the retailer calls a "ghost town."This is the same mall that earlier this week was the subject of an NAACP boycott over alleged racism and xenophobia.One of the mall's co-owners is General Growth Properties, a company on the brink of bankruptcy,

Alan David Doanenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12567288.post-88865660308563303312009-04-09T08:45:00.004-04:002009-04-09T08:50:33.934-04:00

Posted Apr 08 2009, 05:59 PM by Karen DatkoHas the mall of your teens died a slow death by neglect or succumbed to sudden trauma inflicted when vehicle traffic patterns were changed? If so, chances are you can find its eulogy at Deadmalls.com.Read this here.

Brian Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051618559212272250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12567288.post-86878229170057185922009-04-07T09:03:00.001-04:002009-04-07T09:05:29.744-04:00

Report on Business looks at the near future and does not see a pretty picture.

Alan David Doanenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12567288.post-51063277134855572192009-04-05T05:24:00.003-04:002009-04-05T05:33:39.962-04:00

The New York Times has a report on desperate mall owners and their increasingly bizarre tactics to keep their retail monoliths alive. In addition to dying malls now welcoming in formerly shunned "downscale chains" (there's a term to remember -- you'll be hearing it again) like Big Lots, the most amazing thing about the article has to be the segment on "The Flowrider," which some malls are

Alan David Doanenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12567288.post-2888100275841891452009-04-04T18:15:00.001-04:002009-04-04T23:22:46.117-04:00

Appearing in the New York Times online blog this afternoon (4/4/2009). mall101 Uses for a Deserted MallNew York Times - New York,NY,USAPeter Blackbird and Brian Florence are two such people. They consider themselves retail historians, and they are the founders of the Website deadmalls.com. ...

Brian Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051618559212272250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12567288.post-37016187907639067452009-04-02T05:38:00.007-04:002009-04-02T06:10:57.394-04:00

Can a mall be classified dead if it hasn't even opened yet? The News and Observer reports on a Raleigh, North Carolina mall that has nearly completed construction but has zero tenants committed to occupying its 107,000 square feet of retail space.In an amazing display of understatement, the story blames "bad breaks and unfortunate timing," for the disastrous set of circumstances that has befallen

Alan David Doanenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12567288.post-46041545632694671992009-04-01T13:28:00.003-04:002009-04-01T13:30:51.366-04:00

The documentary film Malls R Us, which features a prominent segment on Deadmalls.com, apparently was nominated but did not receive an award at the 27th International Festival of Films on Art (FIFA), at the Museum of Fine Arts in Montreal this past weekend.Full details at The Art Newspaper.

Alan David Doanenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12567288.post-41040166385729451322009-03-31T13:13:00.003-04:002009-03-31T13:16:26.072-04:00

The new movie Observe and Report was filmed in a dead mall, according to joblo.com. From the description, it sounds like a classic dead mall scenario:"Interestingly enough, the mall is not completely abandoned since there are still three stores that remain open on either side of the mall. This means the inside of the mall is still open to the public and has become the local 'hangout' for elderly

Alan David Doanenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12567288.post-53426851898302252662009-03-30T18:45:00.004-04:002009-03-30T22:37:29.296-04:00

Having been around the world of retail for awhile, I have been able to follow some of the patterns that develop in the store management world. Managers are there for one thing - to manage and make sure the money is coming in. Anything that prevents the money coming in, no matter how small, needs to be taken out of the picture. Here's the thing though. Some of their choices aren't the best outcome

Jack Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04433729450780535836noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12567288.post-70124623040521434922009-03-30T11:54:00.002-04:002009-03-30T11:57:39.409-04:00

In his regular Monday morning essay, James Howard Kunstler says America will reduce its standard of living by as much as 50 percent, whether it likes it or not:"The lowering of living standards by 20 to 50 percent essentially eliminates all but the must critical commerce, meaning that most of the stores in the malls and strip malls lose their customers and shed employees, while the mall and strip

Alan David Doanenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12567288.post-45890889723572828122009-03-30T10:47:00.002-04:002009-03-30T10:50:22.163-04:00

The Washington Post has details on how General Growth is trying to avoid bankruptcy. The paper notes that if the company fails -- and it seems almost impossible that it won't -- it "would be among the largest real estate downfalls in U.S. history."The developer has malls in almost every state and has been in business for half a century.

Alan David Doanenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12567288.post-3287339908620610912009-03-30T09:05:00.000-04:002009-03-30T09:06:21.787-04:00

This one kind of says it all. On Flickr.

Alan David Doanenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12567288.post-74250811671043299042009-03-28T16:49:00.003-04:002009-03-28T16:51:50.270-04:00

This is the question posed today at The Moderate Voice.

Alan David Doanenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12567288.post-57329077825739813832009-03-28T14:11:00.003-04:002009-03-28T18:20:15.086-04:00

A new department store opens in your town. Nothing like it existed before. It stands alone for many years and prospers, selling a mixed variety of goods and services to cater to its local populace. Another investor sees the profitability to be had by a store of this type and decides to open their own department store in the same town. It flourishes and causes the original store to flutter.

Brian Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051618559212272250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12567288.post-6314334069352096852009-03-28T05:15:00.005-04:002009-03-28T05:19:06.138-04:00

The Aspen Times seems a bit astonished by author James Howard Kunstler's message, delivered yesterday at the Aspen Environment Forum:“We really can’t restart the consumer credit thing. Even if the bank wanted to lend, we’re not going to lend more people money to buy more flat-screen TVs. It’s basically over.”You can read coverage of Kunstler's appearance at The Aspen Times.

Alan David Doanenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12567288.post-8672973980153352322009-03-28T01:37:00.001-04:002009-03-28T05:19:53.268-04:00

The haunting vista of deadmalls across America catches Time Magazine's attention in this excellent photo essay.

Alan David Doanenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12567288.post-66744087202921719042009-03-28T01:16:00.004-04:002009-03-28T01:27:16.189-04:00

This article from Utah's Deseret News caught my eye because of the claim that "a slumping business environment surrounding [a] partially demolished shopping mall," is the reason that the first T.G.I.Friday's to open in Utah is shutting its doors. No mention is made of America's overall "slumping environment," or the fact that a T.G.I.Friday's might fail to attract diners because their food is A.,

Alan David Doanenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12567288.post-9852284199079587242009-03-27T14:18:00.006-04:002009-03-27T14:22:48.883-04:00

"A sense of normalcy should return to the industry soon," a developer told a Las Vegas meeting of the International Council of Shopping Centers. In Business Las Vegas has a report on the event, which seemed infused with an optimism that doesn't seem altogether realistic, especially for a city like Las Vegas, which is one of the least well-positioned places in the United States to withstand the

Alan David Doanenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12567288.post-51909564207350141382009-03-27T14:18:00.005-04:002009-03-27T14:21:25.640-04:00

So what exactly happens when a mall vanishes?This great article from The Week takes a look.

Brian Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051618559212272250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12567288.post-45475689812524748602009-03-26T19:18:00.003-04:002009-03-28T05:20:14.340-04:00

That's the question asked in this exceptional article from The Daily Beast, written by Lee Eisenberg. Deadmalls.com Prime Mover Brian Florence gets some virtual ink in the article, but with or without the "personable chap from Glens Falls, New York," it's a terrific piece on the end of the mall era. I liked Eisenberg's writing so much that I subscribed to his blog.

Alan David Doanenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12567288.post-32465197404231450522009-03-26T14:57:00.005-04:002009-03-26T15:21:18.660-04:00

Perhaps you've noticed as the economy has worsened, many extinct retail outlets are not being revived in some other form, as they would have been in years past.In the boom years of the American economy, if a large retail store closed a location, it was typical for another, oftentimes similar retail chain to move into the space. Within the Deadmalls phenomenon, we've seen time and again once-prime

Alan David Doanenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12567288.post-46285686369982908252009-03-26T14:34:00.004-04:002009-03-28T05:20:22.484-04:00

Hi, I'm Alan David Doane, and for a long time I've been interested in issues of cultural decay and suburban sprawl, so it's very exciting to me to finally be a part of the Deadmalls blog.By way of establishing my Deadmalls cred, let me point you to two interviews I have done with author James Howard Kunstler, one from 2000, and another, more recent (and timely) one from 2007.Kunstler has been

Alan David Doanenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12567288.post-32968168421384999882009-03-26T02:19:00.005-04:002009-03-27T14:02:29.246-04:00

Deadmalls.com is prominently featured in a new documentary called "Malls R Us", that premiered last weekend (3/21/09) in New York City at the Museum of Modern Art. Being at the premiere and seeing us on the big screen was definitely an accomplishing moment! The movie will be shown in Montreal this weekend. In the United States it is distributed by Icarus Films, and hopefully will be shown

Brian Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051618559212272250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12567288.post-25729246569271181732009-02-01T02:33:00.000-05:002009-02-01T02:34:41.085-05:00

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/01/business/01mall.html?pagewanted=1&_r=3Our Love Affair With Malls Is on the Rocks By DAVID SEGALPublished: January 31, 2009 New York Times

Brian Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051618559212272250noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12567288.post-64401549571738922042008-08-22T00:30:00.006-04:002008-08-22T00:38:20.613-04:00

This one is good... couple mad that a mall goes in.. so they move into the mall!http://www.salon.com/mwt/feature/2008/08/15/living_in_mall/And not so good... kid commits suicide at the super-regional mall in Syracuse, NY http://www.wtvh.com/news/local/27115159.htmlNot much going on here. Been a long, hectic, distracting summer! Trying to sift through the thousands of emails we have piling up

Brian Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051618559212272250noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12567288.post-25073239537232778522007-07-21T01:42:00.000-04:002007-07-21T01:43:56.314-04:00

Friends put reviews of malls online - The Columbus Dispatch, Sunday, July 15, 2007

Brian Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051618559212272250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12567288.post-33960772136540763922007-06-28T22:42:00.000-04:002007-06-28T22:49:00.505-04:00

(from http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=12567288)©2007 Daily Freeman - a Journal Register Property. All Rights reserved.06/21/2007Clogged arteriesAh, summertime.Long days, barbecues, beaches, hiking in the Catskills and ...... protracted delays at New York airports and on the New York State Thruway.... sitting in traffic on a city of Kingston street.... fighting one's way through

Brian Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051618559212272250noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12567288.post-30022768234886976132007-02-01T02:30:00.000-05:002007-02-01T02:31:03.274-05:00

Shoppers turn to town centersBy Jayne O'Donnell, USA TODAYHINGHAM, Mass. — Carolyn Kennedy wants to add a bocce court to the "lifestyle" shopping center she runs in this Boston suburb. The guys who sit smiling on the benches at the outdoor mall could use something else to do.It's a problem a lot of malls would like to have. Women outnumber male shoppers by about 2-to-1, and men spend an average

Brian Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051618559212272250noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12567288.post-30782827668491164352007-01-22T13:54:00.000-05:002007-01-22T13:57:40.023-05:00

From Earthtimes.orgHoward Johnson's restaurants down to threePosted on : 2007-01-22 Author : Business News Editor News Category : BusinessWATERBURY, Conn., Jan. 22 (UPI) The owner of ailing Howard Johnson's restaurants plans to revive the chain next year even as it has cut the iconic U.S. chain's size to three restaurants. The company plans to introduce a new Howard Johnson's ice cream in New

Brian Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051618559212272250noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12567288.post-1129160157352680862005-10-12T19:33:00.000-04:002005-10-12T19:35:57.370-04:00

Hello deadmalls.com fans. I had today off from work. I didn't get out to any malls or retail sites today, but that's not a bad thing. I sat home and chilled out. Was going through all the great submissions we've been receiving and wanted to let everyone know that all entries are reviewed and we do occasionally go back into the archives to post material. If you've submitted something in

Brian Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051618559212272250noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12567288.post-1127953716320007232005-09-25T02:00:00.000-04:002005-09-28T20:28:36.326-04:00

Jack Thomas and his dad Mike, my girlfriend Mary, and me took a trip over to Waterbury on Saturday. Rumors of sale had surfaced, and I wanted to make sure I got back there if indeed they were true. Per online reports, it is not, but the plan had already been set.Arrived about 6:00pm just in time to get pics in the daylight. This restaurant, since Springfield, VT's closure, has the most

Brian Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051618559212272250noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12567288.post-1127952650011438802005-06-30T06:04:00.000-04:002005-09-28T20:29:54.000-04:00

Wanted to put something new up here. I apologize for the large stretch of idle time.End of June I drove to Bangor, Maine to check out the Howard Johnson's up there. Left here at 2:30pm and got there at 9:30pm. By no means was this a trip you should take as a day trip, but I did :-).Had a Buffalo Chicken sandwich that was out of this world (not a hojo's original, nothing on the menu was except...)

Brian Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051618559212272250noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12567288.post-1115038119344498472005-04-30T11:46:00.000-04:002005-05-02T09:53:22.286-04:00

It bums me out to see the final "real and untouched" Hojo's come to a close. When I found out about it's existence, my friend and I trekked from here in Glens Falls, NY over to Hojo's in Springfield. I went back three times after that. Then came the official news.When I discovered Springfield's existence back in December, my friend and I set out on a mission to get to all the open restaurants

Brian Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02051618559212272250noreply@blogger.com16