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30 things that have disappeared as malls across America have died

Arcades, playgrounds, and appearances from pop stars like Avril Lavigne used to be common at shopping malls. Not anymore.

  • As shopping malls struggle to attract consumers,
  • Many features that were once common at malls have becoming increasingly rare.
  • These include playgrounds, arcades, and appearances and concerts from pop stars.

Malls once played a pivotal role in how we shopped and socialized. Many malls that would once be crowded on any given afternoon are now struggling to fill vacancies, with some being converted into residential or business centers.

As a result, malls have lost many of the distinctive stores and features we used to associate with them.

Here are some of the stores, features, and behaviors you no longer see in malls:

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Playgrounds

When malls were a weekend destination for families, many of the shopping centers would have playgrounds so that kids wouldn't become restless after watching their parents run errands.

Sharper Image

The electronics retailer used to have a large physical retail footprint before it declared bankruptcy in 2008. It now sells its merchandise through its website, catalog, and third-party retail partners.

Promotional appearances from pop stars

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Back when people bought CDs, pop stars like Britney Spears and Avril Lavigne would promote their new albums by touring malls, which would often be overwhelmed by young fans.

True Religion

As its signature jeans have become less fashionable, True Religion has struggled to retain market share. The company filed for bankruptcy in July and announced plans to close at least 27 stores.

Movies set in malls

Back when youth culture revolved around shopping and hanging out with friends in malls, movies targeted toward teens — like "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" and "Mean Girls" — would often feature their characters spending time in malls.

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Waldenbooks

Bookstores like Borders and Waldenbooks used to be fixtures at shopping malls, but like many independent and chain bookstores, each has gone bankrupt.

Fountains

No trip to the mall as a kid was complete without throwing a penny into the fountain, but fountains are no longer as common as malls try to cut costs.

Payless

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The discount shoe chain struggled to adapt to a changing retail climate and filed for bankruptcy in April. It closed about 900 stores, bringing its store count to 3,500.

Window shopping

Consumers used to indulge their fantasies of owning expensive clothing and electronics by looking at store displays, but social media platforms like Instagram and Snapchat now serve the same general function.

Virgin Megastore

CD sales have plummeted over the last decade, resulting in many big-box record stores closing. While it used to be a major player in the CD market, Virgin no longer operates its flagship stores in the United States.

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Arcades

The rise of home video game consoles made most arcades obsolete.

First jobs

Back at the height of shopping malls' popularity, they were popular destinations for teenagers looking for their first jobs.

Sports Authority

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The sports apparel retailer filed for bankruptcy in 2016 and later closed all of its stores.

Sports memorabilia stores

Stores that sold autographed apparel and equipment from sports stars used to have a significant presence in shopping malls.

Spending all of your allowance

While many adolescents and teens used to head straight to the mall after receiving their allowance, e-commerce has made shopping malls a novelty rather than a staple.

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RadioShack

Electronics stores like RadioShack have struggled to compete with online retailers in recent years. After filing for bankruptcy last March, RadioShack closed more than 1,000 stores last year.

People smoking cigarettes

While smoking used to be allowed in public spaces, anti-smoking laws have made it less common over the past few decades.

FAO Schwarz

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The toy company once known for its massive stores is now shifting to displays inside other retailers, like Macy's.

Zany Brainy

While it filed for bankruptcy in 2001, the educational toy retailer's founder,

Gymboree

After filing for bankruptcy in June, the children's clothing company closed over 25% of its stores.

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Big Black Friday lines

Black Friday lines at malls used to be so long, retailers' largest concern was avoiding stampedes. Now, malls are increasingly empty on Black Friday as customers do their shopping online.

Sam Goody

The music and entertainment chain Sam Goody used to be a mainstay at shopping malls before the company filed for bankruptcy in 2006.

Music videos filmed in malls

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Back when malls were essential to youth culture, it made sense for artists like Tiffany, New Radicals, and Tom Petty to shoot their music videos at them. Now, it would be a strange choice.

Warner Bros. Studio Store

Warner Brothers' branded stores used to compete with Disney's, but the company closed all of them in 2001.

Teenagers

While Generation Z seems to like malls more than millennials, malls aren't nearly as popular with teenagers now as they were in the '80s and '90s. And now, some malls are even banning unsupervised minors at certain times.

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Toys R Us

After declaring bankruptcy in September, Toys R Us filed a motion to liquidate on Thursday. The company struggled to deal with an enormous amount of debt after it went private in 2005. It is now preparing to sell or close all of its more than 700 stores in the US.

People going on dates

Going on a date to the mall was a staple for high schoolers in previous decades, but as mall traffic has dwindled, so has the number of people who bring their significant others there.

hhgregg

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The electronics and home appliances retailer struggled for years before it decided to close all of its stores in 2017.

Wet Seal

Teen retailer Wet Seal filed for bankruptcy and closed most of its stores in 2015. The company closed for good in 2017.

Aerosoles

The women's shoe retailer filed for bankruptcy in 2017 with liabilities that were around 10 times larger than its assets. It closed 74 stores as a result.

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