Before the COVID-19 pandemic turned the world upside down, industry analysts across the board were lamenting the death of the shopping mall.
Online shopping had gripped the American consumer, people were ordering dinner online with delivery right to their door, and once longstanding brick and mortar stores including massive chains were shuttering locations all over the country.
Bruce Carlson, the managing director for Northern California for Kennedy Wilson Property Services, who works in the “shopping mall relocation” business, said the industry seemed like it was destined for demise. Carlson and his employer were one of 24,000 businesses who recently attended the three day International Council of Shopping Centers annual convention at the Las Vegas Convention Center, and said the outlook pre-COVID-19 was grim.
