Shopping malls are typically known to be indoor shopping centers, though some have outdoor areas with the shops having their own indoor space. The idea came from old covered marketplaces that were popular between the 10th and 15th centuries, and are even still around today. In 1785, the first purposely-built shopping center was created, but it was not until 1916 that a shopping mall as we consider them today was built in the United States. During the 1950s, large indoor shopping malls began to spring up in major cities across the world, with famous ones being built in Paris and London. As automobiles and suburbs sprung up, strip malls were created, which were the first shopping centers built outside of downtown areas.
There a few different types of shopping malls that should be noted. The average shopping mall is under 400,000 square feet, with those between 400,000 and 800,000 square feet being known as regional shopping malls. Because they are larger, they can accommodate higher end stores that may need more space for their stores. Super-regional malls are those that are over 800,000 square feet. These are the premier shopping mall for the surrounding areas and suburbs. Strip malls are strictly suburban and usually consist of large parking lots surrounded by single story shops. Outlet malls are special shopping malls where manufacturers sell their products directly through their own stores.
The first shopping malls were composed mainly of independent shops with some food vendors scattered throughout. It wasn't long before food courts were added to give consumers a central place to eat. This also offered more choices of food. Other additions that were made to shopping malls through the 20th century included the addition of department stores. These were added when large finances were needed to keep bigger shopping running.
From 1986 to 2004, the West Edmonton Mall in Alberta, Canada was considered the largest shopping center in the world. In less than four years it became the fourth largest, which shows the rapid growth of shopping malls during recent years. The largest mall in the world is the recently opened Mall of Arabia in Dubai, which will be 929,000 square meters in size. The second and third largest shopping malls are all located in China and Malaysia respectfully.
The most recent history of shopping malls paints two very different pictures of the future of the buildings. Strip malls have quickly fell out of popularity and power shopping centers have taken their place. These feature big box retailers that often supply goods at lower prices than smaller local shops. IN downtown districts, where land is expensive, vertical shopping malls are popping up, which include the design of skyscrapers. In the future, it is thought that most new malls will expand vertically rather than horizontally, including parking spaces for the mall.
