July 15, 2020
UMW Professor Christian Gilde and Associate Professor Kurt Steadman recently collaborated on a new publication titled “The Demallification of a Nation: The Death of American Shopping Malls.” Gilde and Steadman, along with former UMW Professor Fredrick Chilson, were the main authors of the publication with contributions coming from UMW alumna Baleigh A. Doyle and other authors.
Gilde received his PhD from the University of Bath and his MA from Boston College. He conducts research in the areas of consumer culture, consumer psychology, and leadership. His previous research resulted in books on higher education and consumer over choice. Steadman received his JD in Law from the University of Idaho. His current research centers around small business entrepreneurship and the case study method. He has also published in the “Journal of Excellence in Business Education” and authored a book chapter on the commercialization of sports.
“The Death of American Shopping Malls” details how malls in the United States are changing as we know it. With the advancement of online retailers, these traditional shopping paradises are becoming a thing of the past.
“According to a survey by the International Council of Shopping Centers, approximately one in five malls is failing,” Gilde explained in the book.
The majority of Americans are now doing their shopping online. The convenience of shopping from your own home, avoiding traffic and crowds, and comparing prices at the click of a button are just a few of the advantages of shopping online. Because of this, malls are now transitioning to provide the consumers with more of an entertainment experience rather than the traditional shopping experience. This can been seen in places such as the Mall of America in Minnesota, the West Edmonton Mall in Canada, and The Dubai Mall.
“These malls offer more than just the mere shopping experience. They venture beyond what the average mall has to offer with extraordinary entertainment and, as matter of fact, have more than online retailing can offer; they offer an in-person experience. To stay in business, deteriorating shopping malls have to learn from successful malls,” Gilde said.
The book dives deeper into the state of the American shopping mall with chapters on the history of shopping malls, economics, real-estate and much more.
Please contact Professor Gilde at [email protected] or Associate Professor Kurt Steadman at [email protected] for more information on the publication.
