Decline Rewritten: The Changing Face of American Shopping Malls

A sign at the Mall of America is pictured in Bloomington, Minn., on Feb. 2, 2006. Karen Bleier/AFP via Getty ImagesShopping malls, long an economic and cultural fixture of American life, are facing sustained pressure but are not disappearing altogether.Instead, the sector is undergoing creative destruction, as traditional mall formats give way to new concepts that reflect shifting consumer behavior and market conditions, according to recent industry data.