COS also estimates that as many as 87 percent of large shopping malls could close over the next decade. In 2025 alone, 9,410 new mall stores opened, nearly double the number that closed. Author Clyde Christian Anderson reported that indoor mall foot traffic in March 2024 rose 9.7 percent year over year, open-air shopping center traffic increased 10.1 percent, and outlet mall traffic climbed 10.7 percent—each exceeding pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels. After years of decline, shopping malls are experiencing their strongest performance since before the pandemic. A Key FeatureRetail expert Amrita Bhasin points to one feature that drives traffic to shopping malls and retail centers: private clubs.