In the UK, do people still shop in shopping centres, or not that much anymore?
Posted by ProjectMason@reddit | AskABrit | View on Reddit | 39 comments
Here in North America, we call them "shopping malls", where they have a lot of stores you can go to, as well as food courts or the cinema. However, as the Internet progressed, fewer people have gone shopping nowadays, and most malls are virtually gone or empty.
tmstms@reddit
Most of ours do pretty well.
I think the scale of the country matters a lot. Any mall that is well served by the road network is available to a LOT of people.
No-Veterinarian-3916@reddit
Yes, many do. Online shopping is obviously popular.
Shopping centres are better. We're not meant to be couped up indoors.
terryjuicelawson@reddit
Malls are doing OK. It is city centres that can struggle as rates are high and people don't like the traffic and parking. If a couple of key shops go, then the rest declines. It does mostly seem to be clothes shops though, I suppose the one thing you do tend to need to see in person.
dwair@reddit
I think the last time I went into one was before the millennium sometime.
ForestRiver2@reddit
Ones near me are always packed. I stay away on weekends, too many people. Even a recession doesn't seem to stop UK shoppers
EconomicsPotential84@reddit
Yes, people still go, I guess it's kind of like a shopping as a leisure activity rather than a chore thing, the essentials that you would historically get on your high street are now online, but the "shopping day", group of friends/family, lunch, coffees, go round all the shops before a big event, e.g. birthday, holiday, wedding, is still a thing.
Went to Cribbs Causeway a few months back for some kids thing and it was quite busy.
Unable_Obligation_73@reddit
Sadly I am old enough to remember when each high street was different,, local shops selling a wide range of goods then gradually they all became identical same shops selling same shit, we have a shopping centre but when they redeveloped it they couldn't build it properly or design a free flowing traffic system i only go there twice a year if that and only if I am passing and every time there is a problem getting out. Soulless sithole nowhere to sit no coffee shop or pub haate the place
Sorry-Mate69@reddit
I usually go to lakeside in Thurrock and sometimes Westfield in Stratford. They are always busy. Its more of a day out then essential shopping.
Rowmyownboat@reddit
The UK never suffered the strip-mall-isation that the US suffers - where identical malls have appeared every few miles along highways. The same stores, the same layout. Beyond dull.
Instead, the UK suffers the identikit high streets, now less than resplendent with Greggs, charity shops, Iceland and failed trials in what to do with empty bank premises.
There are some successful shopping malls in the UK. I was recently in The Beacon, Eastbourne. It seems some failing stores there have been replaced by top brands. It looked popular. The streets around The Beacon, not so much.
Lou_LouB@reddit
In the UK the 'High street' used to be the main shopping centre of a town or city. They were always crammed. But the covered, all in one malls like you have in America were built and the shops went there. Add in the rise of rent and online shopping and now most High streets I've been to lately are full of empty units or just fast food places like McDonald's.
My local town in South Wales has mostly covered shops and free parking, so people from the valleys and neighbouring city tend to shop there, abandoning their own shopping centres. Cardiff is always busy, but less so on the high street. The arcades and covered centres are much more popular. People prefer to be dry and have everything within one easy convenience so the malls are more popular, but they tend to be filled with big companies and brands. If you want independant or small businesses, the high streets or internet are still the places to shop.
DeliciousUse7585@reddit
What is this “shopping mall” of which you speak? Is it advanced alien technology? What else do you have in North America?! Telecommunications devices??????
floopdev@reddit
I hear they have magic picture boxes that can steal your soul. They're called 'kam-rahs'
thesaharadesert@reddit
We didn’t burn him!
lovepeacefakepiano@reddit
Westfield London at least is thriving. Absolutely massive too. I’m sure there’s bigger ones in the US of course. It’s also (probably intentionally) laid out in the most idiotic way possible so you can get nicely lost when you’re trying to get out of the bloody thing.
Ugh. I no longer live there, I miss the place.
No_Feedback_7772@reddit
Yes, we do. I live in Bristol and Cribbs Causeway is always busy.
CoffeeeGoblin@reddit
Youll see more people at the larger ones and ones in city centres, smaller shopping centres seem to be struggling though as they dont offer the same as the larger ones like food courts, cinemas, bars and other entertainment.
Thin_Resolution7595@reddit
I visited the Trafford Center earlier this year, it was more crowded than I’ve seen at any American mall in the past twenty years.
CoffeeeGoblin@reddit
Ive only been to one in the states near Seattle and it was practically deserted, and a lot of stores were gone. Though the newer entertainment complex adjoined to it was busy. It was a really nice mall too, well looked after if a little dated, very 80s looking in some areas, but I found it charming.
PetersMapProject@reddit
Retail in general is struggling, but it's not limited to malls. In person retail is often known as the High Street.
Malls do exist of course, but they are a modern invention, first appearing from the 60s and 70s. Most of our shops are in buildings that are far older than that, usually with retail on the ground floor and shops or housing above.
There's empty units in lots of places. But often when there's a mall that is empty and outdated, there's another newer one nearby. Take The Galleries in Bristol for example; that opened in the city centre in 1991, but started to struggle when the out of town The Mall opened in 1998, online shopping came in, and started to die when Cabot Circus opened in the city centre in 2008. It's now due for demolition, and will be replaced largely by shops on the ground floor and housing above.
New_Line4049@reddit
They've definitely declined in use, but the big ones still seem to see a lot of footfall, a lot of the smaller ones are dying out though.
DeniseGunn@reddit
Yeah, we call them shopping malls too and they can have restaurants, cinemas, bowling alleys etc. At least the bigger ones do, one of the ones here in Hull has a brilliant indoor mini golf course and an escape room too. Some are more popular than others depending on whether the town is going through financial decline or not.
Electronic_Heart458@reddit
Use to when was younger but no need now with Amazon. You get a lot of chavs and thieves operating in them so that’s another perk of not having to go 👍
Orange_Codex@reddit
My old locals were Bluewater and Lakeside. Enormous places. Social cornerstones. Every third hang-out as a kid and teenager was at Bluewater.
Warm-Marsupial8912@reddit
My local ones are dead, full of boarded up shops. But they are in the city centre and the city council has a bit of a vendetta against cars. Places that have malls outside of cities, so have plenty of free parking and easy access are still popular
Fun-Meal-9839@reddit
In the 90s they were teen hangouts on weekdays and family destinations on the weekends (I have fond memories of my sister and I knowing that all we had to do was get our parents to the toy department and pester power would take over).
They are a lot less busy now, other than relatively new ones like Westfield.
Master-Treat-9752@reddit
my locals are merry hill and telford town centre, its always packed. moreso on weekends, but they both have restaurants and bars and activities so i think that adds to it. i used to go all the time when i was in my teens, but not so much now x
NiceGuyJarod96@reddit
Always tons of people at the four centres closest to me, so I avoid like the plague, or make a beeline for what I need (read: what my sister has asked me to pick up for her) and get out as quickly as possible
In the largest and most popular one, there are hardly any empty units, and the ones that are empty currently are already advertising who will soon be taking over the space. Cinema with a ton of screens, overflowing food court and loads of food carts/smaller units elsewhere in the centre, a much higher number of independent stores than I remember there being as a kid 20/25 years ago
High streets and markets are lot emptier, however, as online shopping has definitely had an impact, along with rents etc. I miss a couple of bookstores on my local town's high street - one chain, one independent - that closed a year or so ago, but appreciate the world food shops that have opened up in the last few years. Hopefully my most local seafood market won't close completely as I like being unable to call up and get freshly caught crab, scallops etc. from them. Get my meat from my village's butcher
I'd say, anecdotally, that shopping centres get the largest percentage of in-person shoppers in my area, for non-grocery items, and can't see that changing any time soon
Calm_Set_9433@reddit
Yes people still go to shopping centres but they are much less busy these days. I can remember them being super-packed and busy during the pre-internet times, especially on Saturdays. X
BabyClyde@reddit
Shopping centres are still full it's locals High Streets that are dead.
blueroses8000@reddit
The good ones are still busy just as much as before and getting more developed and shops and restaurants added all the time. The weather is often not good here so it’s a good place to go for many people especially at the weekends, accessible, free parking, safe, has things for all ages, lots of food and cafe options.
Separate-Region2070@reddit
Compared to shortly afyer opened my shopping mall is less crowded. Ther at least empty units as when first opened.
NaomiT29@reddit
Much like 'high streets' everywhere, they're definitely not anywhere near as busy as they would have been in the 90s or early 00s, but for the most part they still seem to be popular enough. As others have said, they were never as physically large as some in the US seem to be, so that's probably a significant factor in why we haven't ended up with loads of them that feel pretty desolate or were abandoned entirely. They're also pretty often in the middle of town centres, where we absolutely can't afford to just abandon such large areas of useable land so either they keep going or they get torn down for something else.
BillWilberforce@reddit
It depends on the collection of shops and how owns the mall.
Unfortunately a lot of them were built in the '90s by the insurance companies. Just before the internet became a thing and they expect a 15%+ return each year. So rents go up every year and the maintenance and events gets cut.
Debenhams which was a large retailer doing clothes, electronics, homewares etc. was the anchor (largest) tenant for several malls and they went bust during Corona. Leaving the malls with huge multi-floor shops that can't be filled. Regardless of how prosperous a town is.
What a mall really seems to need these days. Is a destination supermarket. That people in the area will travel to and walk 2 minutes around the mall to get into the store. Whether it's a Lidl at the low end or a Marks and Spencers (M&S) at the high end.
Chickenshit_outfit@reddit
Back in the day sure but now the busiest things about our local shopping center is the coffee shops
Compromisee@reddit
There's a large outlet complex near my work. It's not quite a shopping centre but say 40-50 outlet shops all within one big circle
I guess imagine an outdoor shopping centre?
Either way, they sell clothes that are out of season so normally quite discounted.
It's rammed constantly. At the weekends or any holiday it's absolutely horrendous. They often have queues outside of the more popular shops/restaurants waiting for space to go inside
Aromatic_Tourist4676@reddit
They’re rammed !
Low_Ad_5255@reddit
My local malls are meadowhall and crystal peaks, and even though crystal peaks is shit it's always busy. Meadowhall is better but it's still shit and the only reason to go there is it's my most local lego store. Food options are pretty good though.
illarionds@reddit
They were never as big here - either physically, or in importance - but yes, shopping centres still exist. I avoid them like the plague myself.
qualityvote2@reddit
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