Is your local mall dying, thriving or evolving?

Curious City

WBEZ Chicago

Investigation, Chicago, Radio, Arts, Society & Culture, Public, Education, Curious, City

4.6 • 661 Ratings

🗓️ 18 September 2025

⏱️ 15 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Malls hold a special spot in the hearts of many Americans of a certain age. One may have been the setting for your first date, the place you caught a now-classic summer blockbuster, or even a daycare of sorts after mom dropped you off with a few friends (and maybe a few bucks). In our last episode, we looked back at the history of Chicago’s Ford City Mall and the heyday of mall culture in America: the 1980s and 1990s. In this episode, we look at how malls are doing today with Stephanie Cegielski, vice president of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC). She says reports of the death of the mall are overblown, that malls are adapting to a new era by offering experiences, and that Gen Z is playing a large role in malls’ resilience. Cegielski cites an ICSC survey of over 1,000 people aged 16-26 that found 60% of respondents say they visit malls just to socialize or meet friends, even if they don’t need to purchase something specific. “We just asked them blankly, ‘Do you still go to the mall?’” Cegielski said. “And the short answer was yes.”

Transcript

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0:00.0	America is changing. And so is the world.
0:04.4	But what's happening in America isn't just the cause of global upheaval.
0:08.6	It's also a symptom of disruption that's happening everywhere.
0:12.4	I'm Asma Khalid in Washington, D.C.
0:14.7	I'm Tristan Redman in London, and this is the global story.
0:18.8	Every weekday will bring you a story from this intersection, where the world and America meet.
0:24.3	Listen on BBC.com or wherever you get your podcasts.
0:29.9	You've seen the headlines. Now let's go deeper.
0:32.6	I'm Sasha Ann Simons, and I'm getting local takes from the experts and your neighbors on In the Loop.
0:43.3	Every weekday at 9. This is where Chicago checks in. Listen to In the Loop wherever you get your podcasts.
0:57.9	WBEZ is supported by Rivian. Off-road electric joyride ride-alongs are available in downtown Chicago in a Rivian truck or SUV from September 19th to the 21st at the corner of East Illinois and North Michigan.
1:01.8	Plus a chance to win a two-night stay at a luxury Chicago hotel.
1:08.6	Terms apply. No purchase necessary. Entry period is September 12 through the 21st. Must be 21 to enter.
1:12.9	Odds of winning depend on number of entries. Visit rivian.com slash Chicago sweepstakes to enter.
1:17.4	What's up, Chicago? I'm Erin Allen, and this is Curia City.
1:25.8	That's an ad for the Schaumburg Woodfield Mall back in 1984.
1:30.5	Last episode, we focused on older malls like that one, the ones that were popular in the heyday of American mall culture.
1:37.9	And that got us reminiscing.
1:39.6	Growing up where I grew up, the South Lake Mall, I never went there.
1:45.2	That was considered the preppy mall. Calamid City was the hip mall. That's where all the cool dudes went. If you wanted
1:51.7	to look like Alex P. Keaton, you would go to South Lake Mall.
1:59.1	Michael Puente, can you just please introduce yourself? Who are you and what do you do here? I'm Michael Puente. can you just please introduce yourself?
	...

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