When shopping malls first began to appear across Britain’s town centres nearly sixty years ago, they were a symbol of modernity, allowing consumers to shop their favourite brands all under one roof for the first time.

But in today’s digital-first world, the convenience the shopping mall once signalled has been upstaged by the rise of e-commerce. Deserted, outdated malls feature frequently in local headlines, with the collapse of flagship high street chains and department stores leaving many shopping centres without a raison d’etre, a process that accelerated with the advent of the pandemic.

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