Are shopping malls dead?

Many have predicted that online retailing could spell the end for its bricks and mortar counterpart– but such thinking seems to ignore over 2,500 years of history. An Agora played a major role in the daily life of the ancient Athenians during 5th Century BC. Every day, locals would meet in these open spaces to discuss politics and current affairs or purchase goods from the local merchants looking to take advantage of the foot traffic. If they were lucky — or not, considering how they viewed him at the time — they might find themselves in a conversation with Socrates as he badgered them with philosophical questions. Over 2,500 years later, the role of marketplaces has hardly changed, with shopping centres becoming a major meeting place for the local community. The main difference is that rather than engaging with philosophers we now get product launches featuring Kardashians. Read full article here: (VIEW LINK)