Americans love to shop. The United States has for many decades been a consumer culture, one dedicated to acquiring things and enjoying material abundance. Over time, however, where and how Americans have shopped has changed, altering the American landscape and how Americans spend their time. One of the most important changes was the development of the shopping mall.

Prior to the development of shopping malls, Americans shopped in individual stores in the centers of towns and cities. Major cities were known as the homes of large department stores such as Macy's in New York City and Hudson's in Detroit, Michigan. These large department stores were in some ways the forerunners of shopping malls because they carried everything under one roof. Once inside, people could shop in comfort away from the heat and rain of summer or the cold and snow of winter. More Americans moved away from central...