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Michigan’s shopping malls once bustled with packed food courts, department store giants and weekend crowds. Today, many sit eerily quiet — echoing with the footsteps of a few loyal shoppers and lined with caged storefronts and old, faded signage.
At some malls, former retail spaces have been turned into selfie stations, indoor trampoline zones and even go-kart tracks — all in an effort to bring people back through the doors.
Across the state, brick-and-mortar malls are being squeezed by the unstoppable rise of online shopping, changing consumer habits, and aging infrastructure. Retail consulting firm SiteWorks told the Wall Street Journal back in 2022, that since the 1980s, more than 1,800 malls have vanished nationwide — and Michigan hasn’t been spared.
Over the course of our month-long reporting, WKAR News launched a deep dive into the state of shopping malls in Mid-Michigan. Our team fanned out across Ingham, Eaton and Jackson counties to survey mall vacancies, interview local leaders and hear directly from shoppers. We also looked at how other malls across the state are adapting in the face of retail’s transformation.
What we found: Vacancy rates in Mid-Michigan malls as high as 50%, frustrated community leaders, absentee property owners and early signs of bold redevelopment.
Some malls may not survive — others are being reimagined for a new era.
In 2022, consulting firm SiteWorks said there were 1,800 fewer malls nationally since the 1980s. Mall vacancy rates are also rising. According to Globe Street, they're up 9% this year.
Local Mid-Michigan shoppers say online shopping is one source of this decline.
April Provenzano, who still visits the Twelve Oaks Mall in Novi, said she likes shopping online because of the variety and convenience, but still appreciates what in-person shopping offers.
"I live seeing things in-person," Provenzano said. "You can see the quality."
Shopper Alison Olson also enjoys the perks of online shopping.
"I'm six foot tall, and I can never find anything that fits me properly," Olson said. "I can online."
WKAR News visited four malls in the Mid-Michigan area to assess the situation and found an average 34% vacancy rate at these locations.
First, we take a look at the malls in the Capital Region. Click below to see the story.
