The Shopping Malls Debt Epidemic in America

E-Commerce to the Rescue?

The Shopping Malls Debt Epidemic in America

E-Commerce Rescue?

by Leticia Miranda

Malls that buckled due to E-commerce or suffered during the pandemic are being given new life by the very entity that precipitated their decline — E-commerce

Over the last several months, the E-commerce giants has gone on a shopping spree of its own, buying up disused malls across the country and turning them into distribution centers.

In March,  a mall in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, was turn into a 3.4 million-square-foot distribution building, and a mall in Knoxville, Tennessee, into a 220,000-square-foot distribution center. In December, the local planning board in Worcester, Massachusetts, signed off on an e commerce company's  request to convert the city's Greendale Mall into a 121,000-square-foot distribution center.

Between 2016 and 2019, E- commerce comapnies converted around 25 shopping malls, according to an analysis by Coresight Research. 

“The reality is that the cash flow at these lower-quality malls is declining rapidly,” said Vince Tibone, lead retail and industrial analyst at the real estate analytics firm Green Street. “You have to decide, ‘Do I want to do something myself to invest a lot of money to transform this dead retail into thriving retail or put up offices?’ Selling a dead mall as land is a more attractive option.”

About 50 percent of mall-based department stores could permanently close by the end of 2021, according to Green Street. The majority of these mall closures are expected to be lower-tier shopping centers that make less than $320 per square foot of space, which makes it difficult to cover their mortgages, Tibone said.

Malls are already struggling to keep up with mortgage debt. Macerich, which runs about 50 shopping centers across the country, announced in February it is restructuring to rein in $1.5 billion in debt that comes due in July. CBL Properties, whose major tenants include Victoria's Secret and Foot Locker, reached an agreement in March with lenders to shave $1.6 billion from its balance sheet. There is no end in site soon. Will E commerce save this march of debt, time will tell.

How Businesses Select Best Credit Card Processing Companies

What works Best - Nig

• For small businesses that process less than $5,000 per month, the most affordable card processing option is usually to select a processor that charges a flat rate for each transaction and doesn't charge monthly or annual fees.
• Businesses that process more than $5,000 per month should look for a processor that offers interchange-plus pricing and charges few monthly or annual fees.
• Look for processors that are transparent with their pricing, clearly posting rates and fees on their websites.
• This article is for startups and small business owners who are looking for a credit card processing service.

Nearly every business these days needs to accept credit cards and debit cards, but choosing a credit card processing company for your small business can be difficult – there are hundreds to choose from. We've spent hundreds of hours researching the credit card processing industry; we looked for credit card processors that offer transparent pricing, with reasonable rates and few credit card processing fees, reliable customer support, and no long-term contracts. Read our recommendations below and our credit card processing guide to find the best credit card processor for your business.

Credit Card Processing Review Summary

Facts About Skin Cancer

You Need to Know

National Center For Health Statistics

Leading Causes of Death in the US Shows a drop in Cancer Rate

The new data comes from the National Center for Health Statistics, which concludes that death rates rose across the board. (Though one bit of good news, cancer rates dropped.)

Last year Case and another researcher sounded the alarm about a surprising increase in mortality rates for white middle-aged Americans – thanks to a phenomenon poignantly referred to as the “diseases of despair” – overdoses, alcoholism and suicide. The new numbers point to the possibility that a wider group of Americans are becoming prone to major diseases.

Here are the top causes for 2015 according to the report, ranked high to low; numbers represent deaths per 100,000 of the standard population:

1. Heart disease: 168.5
2. Cancer: 158.5
3. Unintentional injuries: 43.2
4. Chronic lower respiratory diseases: 41.6
5. Stroke: 37.6
6. Alzheimer’s disease: 29.4
7. Diabetes: 21.3
8. Influenza and pneumonia: 15.2
9. Kidney disease: 13.4
10. Suicide: 13.3