Why does New Jersey have nicer malls than Pennsylvania

[Dough4872]

Living in the Mid-Atlantic, I notice that New Jersey has a lot of nice malls with upscale stores while Pennsylvania barely has any, with King of Prussia being the notable exception, and most malls in Pennsylvania are downscale and struggling. Is there any reason for this phenomenon?

[GaryV]

NJ has to do something to improve it's image.

[kphoger]

NJ has to do something to improve it's image.

We have a thread for that. 

[Scott5114]

NJ has to do something to improve it's image.

We have a thread for that. 

So, about that guy on Discord who has an irrational hatred for New Jersey who I wanted to annoy—

[jeffandnicole]

Living in the Mid-Atlantic, I notice that New Jersey has a lot of nice malls with upscale stores while Pennsylvania barely has any, with King of Prussia being the notable exception, and most malls in Pennsylvania are downscale and struggling. Is there any reason for this phenomenon?

Population density is probably one reason.  While some NJ malls do struggle or have closed, there's several in areas that continue to draw from nearby large population centers. Many of them are located along main highways, making them easy to travel to.

[Dough4872]

Was at Garden State Plaza in Paramus, NJ the other day and it's way better than any mall Pennsylvania has to offer aside from King of Prussia.

[Road Hog]

Stonebriar Mall in Frisco, TX still seems to be doing well, although the clientele these days seem to support more sporting shops with cricket equipment and a food court with lots of curry. Just my observation.

[roadman65]

Livingston Mall in Livingston,  NJ I believe is going to close.  I've seen clips on Social Media saying it has only a couple of tenants and one anchor department store.

It was once a popular venue, now dead.   So saying NJ in general has surviving malls is an understatement. There are even other NJ malls that went under.  Seaview Square in Ocean Township near Asbury Park is one that is history.

So in essence NJ may have a couple better than PA, in reality it has struggling malls.

[place-saint-henri]

The county or linkin in the state of Jefferson has 73 malls

[Urban Prairie Schooner]

New Jersey has a relatively affluent population. NJ ranks very high in per capita income compared to other states. A larger middle class supports more successful malls.  Meanwhile there are many, many malls in the boondocks of rural Pennsylvania that should probably have never been built and which make up a large proportion of the state's fabled bumper crop of dead malls.

[roadman65]

Short Hills is striving because its clientele is upper Middle Class and Upscale.

It dont even have a food court as the upper crowd dont believe in snacking at Chick Fil A and the like.  Its all clothing and products that the high class like to purchase.

[Max Rockatansky]

Short Hills is striving because its clientele is upper Middle Class and Upscale.

It dont even have a food court as the upper crowd dont believe in snacking at Chick Fil A and the like.  Its all clothing and products that the high class like to purchase.

Wut

[formulanone]

Meanwhile there are many, many malls in the boondocks of rural Pennsylvania that should probably have never been built and which make up a large proportion of the state's fabled bumper crop of dead malls.

I don't usually care much about retail and tracking sort of thing; but when I was in Seneca, Pennsylvania two years ago, I was quite amazed that the Cranberry Mall had existed at all.