Macy’s flagship store in New York’s Herald Square now requires an online reservation for visits with Santa. “Santa’s a popular guy,” goes the explanation. Some 250,000 visitors come to Macy’s “Santaland” each year, according to the company. Santa visits are a big draw and can translate into big sales for retailers. Click the audio player above to hear […]

These are tough times for department stores.

A year after a devastating terrorist attack, Nairobi's Westgate Mall is to reopen partially.

Williston, North Dakota, is in the middle of an oil boom, but it doesn't have many stores or restaurants for a growing population.

Shopping mall firms struggled during the recession and are still digging out.

Shopping malls around the country are dropping like flies. Roughly a third have trouble keeping the lights on.

JC Penney CEO Ron Johnson, formerly of Target and Apple, explains how he hopes to move the company forward — in part by looking back to the heyday of department stores.

Vacancies at malls were down at the end of 2011, in part because new construction has stalled.