Averting dead mall syndrome: de-malling and the future of the purpose-built shopping center in large UK cities

As consumer habits evolve the role of purpose-built shopping centers is being severely tested. The phrase ‘dead mall syndrome’ is now frequently used in North America and parts of Europe to describe shopping centers facing obsolescence. In this paper, we make purpose-built shopping centers in large UK cities our focus and consider the extent to which ‘dead mall syndrome’ and ‘de-malling’ are occurring on the UK’s city center high streets. Using a new dataset, we find that shopping centers are facing high levels of vacancy and can no longer rely on the rental income that used to flow from retailers. Tenancies are also more difficult to sustain in older enclosed shopping centers than in newer open air shopping centers. This has forced some operators to adopt radical ‘de-malling’ measures that focus on the redevelopment of former shopping center sites into mixed-use urban quarters. This approach has been aided by flexible UK planning policies that enable shop owners to convert redundant retail space into alternative new uses. We argue, however, that a more managed approach is necessary to ensure these urban transformations achieve a sustainable fix to the ‘crisis on the high street’ in large UK city centers.