Sep 15 2024
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Last Updated: September 05, 2024
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Ever wondered what it would be like to wander through a mall so vast it feels like a city of its own?
A place where the boundaries of shopping extend far beyond retail. Where you can skate across an ice rink, scream down a roller coaster, witness the beauty of marine life in an aquarium, or experience a luxury hotel—all under one roof.
These colossal structures redefine what a mall can be, blending world-class shopping with unforgettable entertainment and dining experiences that draw millions of visitors every year.
Join us as we explore the 10 biggest malls in the world, places so immense you could spend days discovering all they have to offer.
The Iran Mall of Iran is, by far, the largest shopping mall in the country and the world. Located in northwest Tehran, Iran, the mall covers almost 21 million sq ft in area. Opened back in 2008, the mall has, after completing all of its development phases, now has more than 2500 shops.
The Iran Mall received many records and recognition, such as the Guinness Book of World Records for the largest continuous concrete pour . Despite having many other attractive components, the Iran Mall Hotel drags everybody’s attention as it is the largest part of the complex.
The largest mall in Dubai and the second largest in the world, Dubai Mall attracts more than 54 million visitors each year. It covers more than 12 million sq feet, as big as 50 times the size of a football stadium. You can imagine the occupancy of the mall because it has more than 20 cinema screens and over 100 restaurants.
The main attraction of the Dubai Mall is its world’s largest choreographed fountain system - Dubai Fountain. Among its many records, Dubai Mall also displayed the world’s largest OLED screen in 2007, made by LG. It consists of 820 55" OLED panels, creating entire dimensions as huge as 50 meters in width and 14 meters in length, also making it the largest high-definition video wall.
After opening the second phase of the mall in 2022, IOI City Mall became the largest mall in Malaysia. Located in Sepang, Selangor, Malaysia, IOI City Mall has become the third-largest mall in the world.
The mall was first opened in 2014, and so far, by 2024, it has occupancy of more than 650 shops in it. More about its size and attraction, it has a giant Olympic-sized ice-skating rink, Icescape, along with a 52,000 sq ft indoor adventure park named District 21.
The New South China Mall is spread across more than 7.1 million sq ft in Dongguan, China. Though being such a giant in size, the mall remained vacant for almost 10 years after its opening in 2005. The main attractions of the mall are its IMAX movie theaters, Gondola rides, and Marine Mammal Park.
The New South China Mall has interesting themes and features, which divide the entire mall into seven different international cities and regions (Amsterdam, Paris, Rome, Venice, Egypt, The Caribbean, and California).
Opened in 2006, the SM Mall of Asia is located in Bay City, Pasay, Metro Manila, Philippines. Along with the fact that it is the largest mall in the Philippines, it also has an occupancy of more than 3500 stores.
Additionally to its gigantic size of its own, it also features an IMAX theatre with one of the world’s largest 3D screens. If you want to witness one of the tallest Ferris Wheels in the Philippines, then the mall has an MOA Eye Ferris wheel.
Golden Resources Shopping Mall in Haidian District, Beijing, is often referred to as the “Great Mall of China.” Golden Resources Shopping Mall opened back in 2004 and covers almost 6 million sq ft in area.
The mall consists of 750 plus shops, including diverse offerings like a skating rink, gym, cineplex, and musical fountain. The mall started attracting more people after the Beijing Subway station overcame its initial issue due to its location and costly goods.
Since its opening in 1989, the Central World Plaza is famous for its luxury and gloriousness. Situated in Bangkok, Thailand, the mall covers a space of 5.9 million sq ft with occupancy of more than 600 shops.
The mall has a vibrant glass facade with massive LED screens almost 180 meters long , often displaying shows that blend live action with animation and geometric design.
The ICONSIAM is located on the banks of the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok, Thailand. It consists of two buildings: the 52-floor Mandarin Oriental Residences and the tallest building in Thailand, Magnolia Waterfront Residences, having 70 floors.
The ICONSIAM is often nominated and awarded for splendid design and architectural marvels, such as Best Design of the Year at the World Retail Awards 2019 and 2020 VIVA Best-of-the-Best Design and Development Award.
The largest mall in the U.S., the Mall of America, was opened back in 1992, and so far now has occupancy of more than 520 shops. It is quite unusual yet interesting; the mall has an internal navigation app, which visitors can use to explore the mall.
The major attractions of the mall include the Nickelodeon Universe (the largest indoor theme park in the U.S.) and the SEA LIFE Minnesota aquarium. The Mall of America attracts more than 40 million visitors each year, and 40% of them are tourists .
Located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, the West Edmonton Mall opened in 1981 in an area of over 3.8 million sq ft. It has more than 800 shops, a gigantic amusement park (Galaxyland), a World waterpark, Sea Caverns, and the beautiful Mayfield Toyota Ice Palace. The mall attracts more than 32 million visitors every year and is considered the second most visited mall in Canada after the Toronto Eaton Centre in Toronto.
Technological advancement plays a major role in providing an outstanding customer experience for these luxurious malls. Here are some of the key area malls that have invested billions of dollars in technology to enhance customer experience:
The navigation of these big malls is mostly managed by the strategic placement of digital kiosks and interactive maps for wayfinding. These dynamic maps help visitors to locate stores, amenities, services, available parking spaces, live events, and more.
Some malls ( e.g., Mall of America) also offer indoor navigation apps to help visitors track their location in the mall on their devices. This technology provides turn-by-turn directions of the visitor’s exact location and paths to reach a desired spot.
Malls are also coming up with smart parking solutions that use IoT devices to guide drivers to available parking spots. The information about a parking spot can be displayed on the digital signage to help visitors find a parking spot quickly and reduce the searching time.
The safety and security of these malls are getting more advanced. Alarming situations may occur at any time. For instance, Central World Mall was caught in serious fire incidents twice.
Digital signage displays have been installed in many places in the mall to provide real-time alerts in case of emergencies such as fire or security threats. The screens can instantly switch to display evacuation routes and safety instructions, directing visitors to exits.
A large number of displays are used to create a big screen to display art, vibrant video presentations, and shows. A huge number of displays are connected to sync together to act as one display for videos, just like the largest OLED screen displayed in Dubai Mall or the 180-meter-long display used in Central World Mall.
Malls use this technology to create themed environments or seasonal decorations. These installations transform the mall into an engaging environment, enhancing the overall ambiance.
Malls are equipped with hundreds of stores, many of which utilize advanced technologies like digital signage to enhance the overall shopping experience for customers. Stores have digital mirrors or smart mirrors (or kiosks) that allow customers to try the product virtually. Additionally, these are capable of displaying product information or support touch interactions, allowing users to browse through a brand’s entire product catalog.
Technologies are coming with advanced experiential and interactive digital signage, such as AR-enhanced digital screens, virtual product try-ons, and interactive games. Malls also have gesture and voice-controlled displays to enhance customer interaction to the next level.
AI technology for shops with AI analytics can display personalized promotions based on shopper behavior, demographics, or time of day.
These big malls and infrastructure are getting advanced with time, adopting new technologies, and managing to connect brands worldwide with customers.
While these spaces offer unforgettable experiences, they also serve as a reminder of the technological innovations that the world has embraced—innovations that you and your business might still need to explore.
I’m not suggesting you install a gigantic 100-meter display in front of your store, but why not start with something simple, like a digital display menu for your cafe or an interactive kiosk for your office? If you’re curious about how digital signage can benefit your business, give Pickcel a try.
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