The most successful malls are going back to their roots as multipurpose destinations, instead of just retail centers.
We check in with Alana Ferko, manager of the Butte Plaza Mall, who tells us about vacancy rates and a few special guests.
Butte Plaza Mall in Montana has diversified its tenants in order to survive, which might mean it loses out on seasonal shopping spikes.
One critic says the changes are "almost like retail gentrification."
Some see a sign of economic health, others one more example of global inequality.
Rick Caruso of The Grove says shopping centers are in the entertainment business.
Malls have become more nimble, offering specialized services and experiences you can't find online.
Shopping malls around the country are dropping like flies. Roughly a third have trouble keeping the lights on.
A mall in Seoul, South Korea is installing facial recognition cameras to read shoppers' gender and age in order to generate customized ads.
A sign the nation's economic health may be continuing to improve — the real estate data company Reis reported today vacancies at shopping centers were down at the end of 2011. It's the first time that's happened in four years.
