Australia all but copied mall culture, Westfield are the most popular malls here as well and they follow the same pattern as the US malls. They have never been

Australia all but copied mall culture, Westfield are the most popular malls here as well and they follow the same pattern as the US malls. They have never been busier as best I can tell, and during the pandemic they ended up packed as people became more comfortable with the rules and risks, I think for the reason you mentioned, social interaction and just getting out. That said, you need a strong middle-class to afford the mall, and I think on top of some malls just being too ambitiously placed in the middle of nowhere, a lack of customers who can afford to shop likely drove people away and into eCommerce.