The term shopping mall typically refers to an enclosed and climate-controlled structure consisting of one or more central pathways, on either side of which is an array of individually owned and operated retail stores, fast-food restaurants, entertainment venues such as movie theatres, and similar enterprises. Some malls are general service, offering an array of different types of stores; some specialize in outlet stores, in which discounted or excess merchandise is sold; and some, such as the famed Mall of America, are tourist destinations in their own right.

In the United States, shopping malls are an invention of the latter half of the 20th century. Evolving from their nonenclosed shopping center cousins, malls are promoted as one-stop shopping destinations in urban and suburban areas and, today, primarily ...