Malls are a dying breed. The phenomenon of a dead mall is so popular that an entire genre of Internet content is dedicated to it, e.g. "DeadMalls.com:"

But, as common as it is, it's worth remembering how odd and unsettling a dead mall is — particularly, as this fellow notes, how they're able to maintain any cash flow at all:

Coming to the mall makes me realize we're living in a simulation. Like, this can't be real.

You're telling me this place right here, that has two people working in there, they're selling enough hats just to pay two employees? No, I don't believe it. I don't believe it. It's not real. …

You're telling me this place "Icing," sells enough $2 earrings to pay their rent? No way.

This place. This place. What do they even…what do they do? They're selling nail polish and candles. That's not, no, there's no way.

I mean...

How do those places make money? How do useless knickknack stores in barely-populated malls make enough to pay the rent on a large parcel in a massive air-conditioned artificial shopping market?

I don't know. But folks in the comments have ideas.

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Okay so based on my research it's either a money-laundering front or something to do with mattresses.

I think this guy might have the right idea though:

Maybe we'll figure this mystery out someday!

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