Depending on the day, and the source making the claim, shopping malls are either destined for the trash heap of history, victims of the retail apocalypse, or else enjoying a resurgence and providing harbingers of the future. The story keeps changing. But perhaps the problem is trying to tell one story about the diverse range of locations and retail designs that malls can embody.

For example, a recent estimate notes that only around 950 shopping malls are still in existence in the United States today, and recent years have seen about 10 closures on average. Yet among the survivors, we find the Tangram Mall in Flushing, Queens, which has been growing vastly more popular in the recent past. Its location in a borough of New York City—not known for hosting large, indoor shopping spaces—makes this exception especially noteworthy.

As might be expected, Tangram Mall is not a typical shopping destination. It was built purposefully and expressly to meet the needs of Flushing’s large Asian American community. All signs in the mall are printed in both English and Chinese. The featured restaurants and retailers include a large number of Asian franchises. The mall operators also actively seek out new tenants to expand its offerings. For example, a recent expansion announcement cited the arrival of a Chinese-Korean eyeglasses retailer, a Filipino baby store, a Chinese hairdresser, and a Japanese-inspired lifestyle brand.

Even as it purposefully meets the needs of this consumer segment though, Tangram Mall creates additional appeals to attract broader audiences too. Thus, in addition to its diverse, pan-Asian retail locations, the mall integrates popular cultural offerings. Many of the eateries feature all-night karaoke parties for patrons; some of the most popular options stay open until 6:00 a.m. the next day. The arcade inside Tangram evokes 1990s-era nostalgia, with neon lighting and rows of console games, but the prizes that players can win are effectively tailored to the current generation of consumers, aligned with their interests and preferences. Similarly, the Pop Mart store sells popular, widely coveted Labubu dolls, attracting youngsters from all over the city, in search of collectibles that are not available elsewhere.

Some even more recent additions to the mall suggest that Tangram is seeking to diversify even further, by adding a selection of non-Asian restaurants and stores. Still, these inclusions seem strategically designed, rather than random. A taco truck favorite, Birria-Landia, recently opened a stand in the mall’s food court. Sandwiched between Thai fusion and a modern take on the banh mi, the Mexican eatery’s modern, experimental menu functions like an interesting and tasty alternative, rather than a confusing distraction from the rest of the offerings.

Thus, for retail mall operators, Tangram Mall seemingly offers a valuable lesson and compelling example. They can survive, but they must be willing to design their offerings in a way that gets people excited to visit.

Discussion Questions

1. What is the advantage of likeminded businesses having a single mall venue to attract shoppers, as opposed to each of the retailers opening independent locations nearby?
2. How can other malls adopt some of these strategies, even if there is no clearly defined, specific demographic to which they want to cater?

Sources: Matthew Haag, “With Labubus and a Cat Cafe, a Shopping Mall Thrives in New York City,” The New York Times, July 23, 2025; Emma Orlow, “Taco Favorite Birria-Landia Is Opening Another Location,” Eater, April 16, 2024; “New Tangram Shopping Destination, Queens NYC Sign Four New Stores,” Retail & Leisure International, July 8, 2022.