Concept
A strip mall, strip center or strip plaza is a type of shopping center common in North America where the stores are arranged in a row, with a sidewalk in front. Strip malls are typically developed as a unit and have large parking lots in front. Many of them face major traffic arterials and tend to be self-contained with few pedestrian connections to surrounding neighborhoods. Smaller strip malls may be called mini-malls, while larger ones may be called power centers or big box centers. In 2013, The New York Times reported that the United States had 65,840 strip malls. In 2020, The Wall Street Journal wrote that in the United States, despite the continuing retail apocalypse starting around 2010, investments and visitor numbers were increasing to strip malls. In the United Kingdom and Ireland, strip malls are called retail parks or retail outlets. They are usually located on the outskirts of most towns and cities, and serve as an alternative to the High Street in the UK or Main Street in Ireland. Retail parks have become popular due to the widespread use of cars and the ability to park close to the shops as opposed to the High Street, which is usually pedestrianised. In Australia, "strip shops" or "shopping strip" describes a line of independent shops and buildings along the principal streets of a city or suburban area, which are not set back from the pavement (sidewalk) and do not have dedicated car parking spaces. Strip malls and retail parks often range in size from to over , and strip malls over 100,000 sq. ft. also fit the definition of neighborhood shopping center (). Power centers, described below, may also be considered strip malls, and may reach . The Park and Shop in Cleveland Park, Washington, D.C. opened in 1930, anchored by a Piggly Wiggly supermarket. It was built in an L shape with dedicated parking space for shoppers in the front, a novelty at the time. The center still exists as of 2020, anchored by a Target store and measuring .
