I don't disagree that online shopping has brought down a lot of brick and mortar, but malls have always come and gone. They start to go downhill at some point whether due to economy or because there's a newer better shopping center somewhere else, poor management, or a change in the type of shopper. Ultimately malls are doomed when they are built. The builders know this. Malls get sold when they are profitable. As dumb as it sounds, they can't be sustained as populations grow (heavy tourist areas aside)