If you had to think of the most '80s thing you can imagine, what would it be? For many, it's the American mall — the quintessential part of the decade, so much so that it was the central focus of the '80s nostalgia juggernaut Stranger Thingsin its 3rd season. Malls were once the place people would visit every weekend, but as we stepped into the 2010s, they became a shadow of their past selves. So, what exactly happened?
For nearly three decades, malls were the place to go eat, shop, and just hang out, especially for young people. But as the recession of 2008 rolled around and online shopping got easier and easier, brick-and-mortar stores became more and more obsolete. As retailers were unable to turn a profit, stores in malls closed, and the malls became abandoned. Yet, in 2026, the tide seems to be turning.
In 2020, when the pandemic came, malls were on the brink of extinction, as were many other retail businesses. According to the Wall Street Journal, by the summer of 2023, smaller, regional malls had declined in value by 50%-70%, and 20% were worth less than what their owners paid for them.
Yet today, malls are becoming one of the top performers in the commercial property sector. Over the last year, their valuations have risen by 13%. What led to this change? Few online retailers are coming back in the form of brick-and-mortar stores. Affordable fashion, toys, pharmacies and so on have been replaced with high-end grocers, experiences, games, and restaurants.
Another place that was peak '80s was the video arcade. Most classic 25¢ arcades were actually in malls, but surprisingly, they're not entirely extinct nowadays. In 2026, "barcades" are more popular — a mix of vintage game rooms and bars. Although they're more niche venues, they still satisfy the nostalgia-hungry Gen Xers.
Most barcades have a lineup of vintage arcade game machines, serve craft beer and cocktails, and organize game, trivia, and tournament nights, and have authentic '80s decor, complete with neon colors, pixel art, and, of course, classic '80s music.
Barcades are also a testament to how people nowadays crave third places — venues where they can get together to socialize with friends and strangers. Barcades are low-cost and don't require much commitment (the machines usually cost $0.50 to $1 per play) and offer a great way to detox from the digital world.
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TV in the '80s brought us one of the most iconic moments in American pop culture — MTV. However, in 2026, the music television is no more. The channel officially launched on August 1, 1981, with a song by The Buggles, Video [Ended] the Radio Star. Ironically, it was that same song that played on the last day of MTV being a dedicated music channel. Last year, on December 31, it shut down its music-only channels, while its reality TV franchises like RuPaul's Drag Race and The Challenge still air.
Many kids remember the '80s as the golden age of Saturday morning cartoons. He-Man, Transformers, My Little Pony, and Care Bears were some of the shows beloved by '80s kids, with most owning toys or merchandise related to the shows. That was no coincidence: the FCC had adopted lax ad regulations under President Reagan, allowing shows to market to children.
It's not like kids complained — many of the cartoons from that era remain iconic to this day, but it's obvious that Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was as much about selling as many figurines as possible as it was about its message about family and friendship.
