Mall

View of the Mall of the Emirates, in Dubai

The central walking area of the Toronto Eaton Centre in Toronto, Canada

A mall or shopping center is a large building that is full of many smaller shops and stores. It is different from earlier markets or bazaars because most of the shops are not little booths or stalls in one big open area. Each store has its own space with walls. Most of their entrances face a central walking area inside the building.

People visit the stores in the mall to shop. Most malls have parking lots (places to park cars). Most malls also have roofs so people can shop inside. Most malls have a food court where people buy food. Some malls have movie theatres.

Name

"Mall" is the most common name for these buildings in America, and "shopping center" is the most common name for them in the United Kingdom. The name "shopping center" is also sometimes used in America. Malls are also sometimes called plazas.

Famous malls

• West Edmonton Mall, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, is one of the largest malls in the world.
• The Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota is one of the largest malls in the world.
• Ala Moana is the largest outdoor mall in the United States.