Shoppers Alarmed by What's Happening at Malls: ‘Living in Hell'

An online debate has sparked over a change some shoppers say represents everything wrong with modern retail: paying to park at a shopping mall.

In a clip posted on TikTok by user kingkammyy and viewed 98,000 times in two days, the creator films rows of empty parking spots while reacting to a sign advertising paid "plus parking" spaces near a mall entrance.

"I’m up here cause I was like, why are all these parking spots empty," the creator asks in the video.

After noticing the sign, she adds: "They want you to pay for something that’s not covered in a mall… Pay to park in the front when there’s free parking right over there… We are living in hell."

Some malls in the United States have already begun experimenting with similar programs.

According to 96.7 The Eagle, an Illinois outlet, the Fashion Outlets of Chicago in Rosemont recently introduced a paid parking system in its garage. Under the policy, shoppers receive the first hour free, but additional time can cost $13 for one to three hours, $20 for three to 12 hours and up to $50 for 12 to 24 hours.

The mall's owner said the change is intended to improve parking availability for shoppers and prevent people from using the garage for unrelated purposes such as airport parking.

In a statement reported by 96.7 The Eagle, a spokesperson said the update is, "designed to ensure convenient access for our guests while maintaining a positive overall experience."

Changing Consumer Habits

Still, the shift has frustrated some visitors who say malls should be encouraging customers rather than adding new fees.

The debate comes at a time when traditional shopping centers are already struggling to maintain foot traffic. Malls once served as cultural gathering places as well as retail hubs.

"The rise of online shopping has displaced the need for malls in people's lives,” PBS reported.

“Online shopping has doubled in the past seven years and teenagers who used to hang out at the mall now socialize over social media and phones.”

In a shocking statistic, there have been no new malls built in the United States since 2006 and 15 percent of malls are expected to close their doors altogether in the next 10 years.

Those broader changes formed the backdrop for a Reddit thread, where contributors weighed in on whether paid parking is a smart move, or a sign malls are becoming less appealing.

“Like malls need to do more to discourage people from shopping there,” a critic remarked.

Another pundit suggested avoiding the charge altogether, writing: "Park way in the back. It’s good exercise and now it also saves you money!"

‘Makes sense to me’

Not everyone opposed the idea. An individual argued the policy could help manage limited spaces: "Makes sense to me. It's like any pay for privilege system that keeps desirable things available.

“You won't park any closer or farther away since the close spots are almost always taken anyway."

The conversation reflects a wider tension facing shopping centers: how to generate revenue while trying to keep customers coming through the doors.

As malls continue to experiment with new strategies-from luxury retail upgrades to redevelopment plans-small changes like parking fees are increasingly becoming part of the debate about what the future of American malls will look like.

Newsweek has reached out to kingkammyy for comment via TikTok. We could not verify the details of the case.

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This story was originally published March 12, 2026 at 8:30 PM.