Simon Search says, "we do not have what you want, please do not come to the mall!"

It’s no secret that the shopping mall is dying.?In fact, many owner’s are doing everything in their power to draw potential customers to the mall, including adding expensive entertainment venues, and even buying the mall anchors, so they can remain open and serve as a draw for the other mall tenants.

The largest mall owner in the U.S. is Simon Properties.?Not only are they the largest, they’re run by a management team that is considered one of, if not, the best in the industry. With a lot of fanfare, they recently announced Simon Search, a new search platform that allows users to research in-stock products available at the mall’s retailers.?Simon Properties has said that they will implement Simon Search at all of their malls around the country.

While there may be a convenience provided to the consumer by using Simon Search, this writer believes that this is a very poor use of technology, as it will discourage people from going to the malls to shop.?How many times does a consumer go to a shopping mall for a specific item, that may not be in stock, and decide to buy another product, or shop at another store??I would suggest, quite often.

So, when you have the largest mall owner in the U.S., run by the perceived “smartest mall operators in the World,” are putting out apps that discourage visitors to their properties, what chances do the shopping malls have to survive??Why make all the investments in retail companies and entertainment, when at the same time, discouraging people from shopping at the malls??Wouldn’t Simon Properties be better served finding ways to entice people to spend time at their properties?