Astrip mall,strip center,strip plaza or simplyplaza is a type ofshopping center common inNorth America andAustralia where the stores are arranged in a row, with afootpath in front. Strip malls are typically developed as a unit and have largeparking lots in front. Many of them face major trafficarterials and tend to be self-contained with few pedestrian connections to surrounding neighborhoods. Smaller strip malls may be calledmini-malls, while larger ones may be calledpower centers orbig box centers. In 2013,The New York Times reported that the United States had 65,840 strip malls.[1] In 2020,The Wall Street Journal wrote that in the United States, despite the continuingretail apocalypse that started in around 2010, investments and visitor numbers were increasing to strip malls.[2] In 2024 the number of strip malls in the United States had grown to more than 68,000 nationwide.[3]
In the United Kingdom and Ireland such malls are calledretail parks or retail outlets. They are usually located on the outskirts of towns and cities, and serve as an alternative to thehigh street in the UK ormain street in Ireland. Retail parks have become popular due to the widespread use of cars and the ability to park close to the shops as opposed to restricted parking on high streets, many of which arepedestrianised.
In Australia "strip shops" or "shopping centre" describes a line of independent shops and buildings along the principal streets of a city or suburban area, which are not set back from the pavement (footpath) and do not have dedicated car parking spaces.[4]
Strip malls and retail parks often range in size from 5,000 square feet (460 m2) to over 100,000 square feet (9,300 m2).
In theInternational Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) classification of shopping centers, U.S. and Canadian strip malls may fit the definition of:
Note that ICSC classifications vary slightly for Europe as well as for Asia Pacific.
The Park and Shop inCleveland Park, Washington, D.C. opened in 1930, anchored by aPiggly Wiggly supermarket. It was built in an L shape with dedicated parking space for shoppers in the front, a novelty at the time. The center still exists as of 2020, anchored by aTarget store[7] and measuring 50,400 square feet (4,680 m2).[8]
The smaller variety is more common and often located at the intersection of major streets in residential areas; it caters to a small residential area.[1] This type of strip mall or plaza is found in nearly every city or town in the United States and Canada; it is service-oriented and may contain agrocery store,hair salon,dry cleaner,laundromat, smallrestaurant,discount stores,variety stores, and similar stores such as ageneral store,toy store,pet store,jewelry store,mattress store,convenience store,thrift shop, orpawn shop. In the past,pharmacies were often located next to the grocery stores, but are now often free-standing or contained within the anchor tenant (e.g.Walmart, Target) or grocery store.Gas stations,banks, and other businesses also may have their own free-standing buildings in the parking lot of the strip center.
The mini-mall inLos Angeles is seen as the descendant of the drive-inmarkets with multiple independent vendors that appeared in the area in the 1920s. The1973 oil crisis bankrupted many gas stations, freeing up their corner lots for redevelopment. La Mancha developers built the first modern-style mini-mall – a few stores with parking in front – inPanorama City, Los Angeles in 1973, with over 600 to follow in the metropolitan area. The proliferation of mini-malls from that time into the 1980s led to a 1988 anti-mini-mall ordinance in Los Angeles.[9][10][11]
The other variety of strip mall in the United States is usuallyanchored on one end by abig box retailer, such as Walmart,Kohl's, or Target, and/or by a largesupermarket likeKroger,Publix orWinn-Dixie on the other. They are usually referred to aspower centers in the real estate development industry because they attract and cater to residents of an expanded population area. The categories of retailers may vary widely, fromelectronics stores tobookstores tohome improvement stores,dollar stores, andboutiques. There are typically only a few of this type of strip malls in a city, compared to the smaller types. Retailers vary from center to center, ranging from three or four large retailers to a dozen or more. Some strip malls arehybrids of these types.
