This video details what it was like to hit the mall in the 80s and 90s. Food courts, arcades, Spencers Gifts, the anchors, latest fashions, everything was at the mall, all in one place.
Kids: Imagine there was no Amazon and you had to go to the mall to get everything. I mean everything. Trust me, it was worth it!
Summary
- The 1980s Mall experience was a popular pastime for teens on Friday nights.
- Shopping centers and bazaars have existed for centuries, but the concept of a modern indoor shopping mall was pioneered by Victor Gruen in 1956.
- The first indoor mall was Southdale Center in Minnesota, but the first to use the term “mall” in its name was Bergen Mall in New Jersey.
- The popularity of malls increased in the 1980s with over 16,000 shopping centers built between 1980 and 1990.
- The mall experience has changed since the rise of the internet, and dead malls are becoming more common.
- The mall experience included visiting the arcade, with Aladdin’s Castle being a popular destination with over 450 locations at its peak.
- Bookstores were also popular in malls, with Walden Books and B Dalton Bookseller being two of the most popular ones.
- Bookstores often sold items other than books, such as board games, video games, comics, and movies.
The rise of shopping malls in the 1980s was a pivotal moment in American culture.
Victor Gruen’s Southdale Center in Edina, Minnesota was the first enclosed mall, but the term “mall” was first used in Paramus, New Jersey’s Bergen Mall, which was originally an open-air center. Shopping malls became a cultural phenomenon, with over 16,000 being built between 1980 and 1990.
The mall was exhilarating, with the automatic doors sliding open and the fluorescent lights shining bright. The arcade was a popular destination, with Aladdin’s Castle being the largest arcade in the country. Bookstores like Waldenbooks and B. Dalton Booksellers were also popular, selling everything from board games to the latest Stephen King novel.
Dude, check these out, too!
The mall experience has changed considerably with the rise of the internet, and dead malls are becoming more common. However, the nostalgia for the mall experience lives on, as people remember the excitement of gathering with friends, exploring the different shops, and experiencing the energy of the mall.
Quick Facts
– The first enclosed mall was Victor Gruen’s Southdale Center in Edina, Minnesota.
– The term “mall” was first used in Paramus, New Jersey’s Bergen Mall.
– Shopping malls became a cultural phenomenon, with over 16,000 being built between 1980 and 1990.
– The arcade was a popular destination, with Aladdin’s Castle being the largest arcade in the country.
– Bookstores like Waldenbooks and B. Dalton Booksellers were also popular, selling everything from board games to the latest Stephen King novel.
– The mall experience has changed considerably with the rise of the internet, and dead malls are becoming more common.
Photo by Steven Martin
Bicycle cards in my spokes, flimsy ramps, gravel under my skin, Star Wars, Atari, and chucks. We had it all. Claim to fame: Neighborhood’s largest snow tunnel network built during the blizzard of ’77.
0 comments