This Huge, Bustling Mall Has a Hole to Fill—Just Not With More Stores

  • King of Prussia mall to fill empty J.C. Penney with non-retail
  • CEO of owner Simon Property envisions a suburban Hudson Yards
The Death of the Department Store
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The scene at the East Coast’s largest mall on a recent Friday morning would seem to fly in the face of the doomsday narrative surrounding U.S. retail centers. A steady stream of holiday shoppers walked the lacquered halls, browsing stores from Gap to Gucci. By noon, a line was snaking out of an outpost of the Shake Shack burger chain.

In the background, changes are afoot to ensure the crowds keep coming.