When a community opens a large shopping mall, it often expects a boost to the local economy, and in fact a large amount of economic activity goes on in these malls. βββ βββ ββββββββ ββ βββ βββββ βββββββ ββ βββββββββ ββββ βββββββ ββββ βββ βββββ ββββββ ββ ββββββββ ββββββββ ββββ ββββ ββ ββ βββ βββββ
How does a new shopping mall generate significant economic activity while contributing little to the overall economy?
Any hypothesis that resolves this discrepancy must address the relationship between the economic activity in a shopping mall and the greater communityβs economy. It must allow for the overall economy to grow somewhat, but by a smaller amount than the total economic activity contained in the mall.
Which one of the following, ββ βββββ ββββ βββββ ββ βββββββ βββ βββββββββββ βββββββββ ββββββ
When large shopping βββββ βββ βββ ββββ βββββββ β βββ ββ ββββββββ βββ ββββ βββ βββββββ βββ ββββ βββ ββββ βββββββ βββββββ βββββ ββββββββ ββββ ββββ βββ βββββββββββ ββββββββ ββββββββ βββββββββ
This introduces a distinction between new and old shopping malls that is irrelevant to the discrepancy at hand. The author refers to new shopping malls, and does not reference economic effects at different stages of a mallβs life cycle.
Most of the βββββ βββββ ββ β βββββ ββββββββ ββββ ββ βββββ ββ ββββββββ βββ βββ βββββ ββββββββββββ ββ βββ ββββ βββ βββ βββββ βββ ββββ βββββββ βββ βββββββββ βββ ββββ ββββ βββ ββββ ββββββ
This widens the discrepancy by implying the mall's economic activity should be mostly reflected in the communityβs overall economy. If most customers come from out of town, they bring economic activity to the community that would otherwise go elsewhere.
Most of the ββββ βββββββ ββ βββββ ββββββββ βββββ βββ ββββββ ββ ββββββ βββ ββββββββ βββββ ββ βββ βββββββββ βββ βββ βββββ βββ ββββ βββββ βββ βββββ ββββ ββ βββ βββββ ββ βββ ββββββββββ
This implies the mall causes an increase in the communityβs population, which if anything would boost the larger economy even more than expected. If the mall draws workers, then those workers will spend their money in the greater community and increase the total economic output.
Most of the βββββ βββββ ββ β βββββ ββββββββ ββββ ββ βββββ ββββ βββββ ββββ ββββ βββββ βββββββββ ββ βββ ββββ βββββββββ βββ ββββ ββββ βββ ββββ ββββββ
This explains why a new mall will contribute little to the overall economy. If the mall draws business from other places in the community, it causes a redistribution of existing economic activity but does not necessarily generate new activity.
Most of the ββββ βββββββ ββ βββ ββββββββββββ ββ β βββββ ββββββββ ββββ βββ ββββββββββ βββ ββββ ββ βββ βββββββββ ββββ βββββββ βββ βββ βββββββ
This is an irrelevant distinction between the economy when the mall is being built and the economy after the mall is built. The mall offering low-paying permanent jobs does not explain its failure to grow the community's economy as a whole.