Newswise — Spending Black Friday in the mall might be a tradition in many families, but malls are different today than they were even a decade ago, according to Rowan University communication studies professor Ed Streb.
Retailers such as Macy's, JC Penney and Sears are as ubiquitous in malls as Chick-fil-A restaurants, but some other stores just can't compete with Target, Wal-Mart and online retailers, says Streb, who studies malls and mall culture.
"People in the business will tell you that online shopping is such a small percentage that it hasn't really cut into mall business," says Streb, who once spent 96 straight hours in a shopping mall.
"But online retailing has changed the nature of stores in the mall. Today, you seldom see book shops or record stores in the mall. You can get all of that online."
While malls will always have their place in American culture, they will have to think more creatively to continue to compete for consumer dollars, says Streb, one of only a few professors belonging to the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC).
"There's always going to be a need for the in-store shopping experience," he says. "And fashion is what will continue to have a place in the mall."
"Malls are going to have to be more creative," continues Streb, who teaches a course that focuses on communication strategies in malls. "We're already seeing malls partnering with discounters, such as Wal-Mart and Target, that they would never have partnered with before."
Streb, who may be the only male in America who looks forward to going to the mall on Black Friday, doesn't anticipate more new indoor malls in the nation's future.
"In the foreseeable future, we won't see more than one or two new malls," he says. "We're over-malled in this country."
And while some mall retailers are struggling, other retailers, like K-Mart, are "really on the ropes," says Streb.
"K-Mart can't compete with Wal-Mart on price, and they can't compete with Target on class," says Streb.
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