I have a couple still quite alive malls near me. I would say that the only time I go to the mall to shop is around Xmas and I do find stuff there. There’s an advantage to seeing some things in person. Especially when shopping for kids.
More often, I’ll go to the mall to mall-walk when either it’s rainy or brutally hot or freezing cold. I will also sometimes use the food court because other restaurant areas get really busy on weekdays, but people seem to forget about the mall foodcourt when going to lunch from work.
Now, i will say, I don’t think your particular complaint seems any different than it ever was. Malls have ALWAYS been about 4/5ths women’s clothing because women buy and shop for clothing the way men in olde times used to hunt boar. It’s sport.
But every mall near me has at least a couple stores of interest in them. For example, there’s an actual bookstore in one of my malls. Like…physical books. Pages and pages of paper glued together. I have to explain because so many people aren’t familiar with the book concept anymore.
Another store has one of those permanent puzzles/games stores that has alot of weird and creative toy choices for when I’m shopping for the kids. I’ve got a GameStop in that mall, though I don’t use it. It gets even better when you consider the little island mini-stores. I hate those islands, but some of them have odd and interesting things that I hate to admit I’m tempted by at times.
I guess what I’m saying is, sure, it’s still 80% women’s clothes…but I feel like if anything, there’s MORE variety at this mall than the average mall when I was growing up.