Malls have ben the victim of a whole lot of slander in the past year or two. We seemed to have written them off as old-fashioned, not enjoyable shopping experiences. Department stores are struggling and buying stuff online is better than ever. To respond, some malls have evolved into more modern, outdoor shopping centers rather than stuffy indoor emporiums. But there is one type of mall that is holding it down heavy—the ultra-rich, super luxury mall.
According to Esquire, luxury malls with the high-end stores of Madison Avenue and super flashy interiors are having success amid the typical mall's struggles. Most are being built in hubs of the 1% like Dubai—where the 1,200 store, 5.9 MILLION square foot Dubai Mall makes up 5% of Dubai's GDP—yet similar spots are also breaking ground in the U.S. It may be a tall task to replicate the insane levels of luxury over here considering Dubai is where some of the most reckless spending happens, but a shift in that direction might work here too. There's nothing better than walking into a place that is so high above your pay grade that you probably shouldn't have even been allowed in. Just being there is an experience. Even if you can't afford anything from the stores, imagine how dope the food court would be. There could be upscale tapas places with tiny wonton creations or high-quality sushi spots with super intricate rolls topped with squid ink. That alone would be worth the trip. Hopefully malls like these are coming to a city near you.
