Salty pretzels, the cool relief of air conditioning, endless products and a free place to hang out with friends. They’re all hallmarks of the mall experience that have cemented themselves into American culture.
But in the past 20 years, financial pressures squeezed wallets and the ease of online shopping drew customers away from brick-and-mortar stores and to their phone screens, leaving millions of square feet of vacant retail space across the country. Louisiana’s largest mall, the aptly named Mall of Louisiana, has seemingly not succumbed to the pressures.
“People still love to get out and go be with other folks and shop as much as they can to experience new brands and spend time with friends and family,” said Randy Holcombe, vice president of leasing for GGP, the retail arm of Brookfield Properties, which owns the mall…