Rise of the Zombie Mall
The so-called “retail apocalypse” started in 2010, when large chain stores in the U.S. began to close thousands of brick-and-mortar locations after the Great Recession of 2008. When Sears, JCPenney, Sports Authority, Payless Shoes, Radio Shack, and other once-dominant brands announced bankruptcies and liquidations, they only accelerated the trend.