What is a mall? A mall is probably a well-constructed building in an important commercial area that has a lot of shops.The shops all look the same with marbled floors and glass walls and doors.The shops are often brand outlets, that is a major label lends its name to the shop like Reebok, Bata, Pantaloons, Wills etc.The shops are air conditioned so is the whole mall. The goods on sale are put on display on shelves in which they are arranged neatly. I think this is called modern trade.
Malls made their appearance in India in the late nineties. I think Crossroads in Haji Ali, Mumbai was the first major mall. It has since closed down. One common element in indian malls is a Pantaloons super-store. The first Pantaloons was started in Gariahat, Kolkata. And it was a standalone store, not part of any mall. Why do people visit malls? Well, its chiefly for the experience. In Kolkata, where I stay, people visit malls on any holiday. Very little shopping is done. The purpose of the visit is usually to feel good about having spent an evening in a beautiful place. An important aspect of any mall these days is certainly the associated multiplex.
A multiplex is a collection of movie halls where everything is priced 4 times more than what it costs outside the mall including movie tickets. Very few people actually watch films in a multiplex since most seats are empty during any given show. Then, we come to the food court.International food brands like Subway, KFC, Pizza Hut all have shops in malls. There are other food shops too with prices being on the higher side. But the food is generally good. People have to often fight for tables in a food court on holidays. Malls are also about escalators and multi-floor parking. In general most people cannot afford what is sold in malls. But the malls are still there because of their high aspirational value.