The ‘shopping mall’ fits the American archetype: one-stop shopping for anything imaginable, huge ornate spaces designed for leisure/time-wasting, and food courts that will fatten your belly as your wallet thins -- overall, a giant excuse to indulge in consumerism. They’re big and glitzy and they’re everywhere in the US.
But for all the American-ness of the shopping mall, it seems that many of the world’s biggest centers of consumerism are outside of our borders...
#8 – SM Megamall
Mandaluyong City, Philippines
Open since 1991, the SM Megamall in the Philippines boasts 3.6 million square feet in gross leasable area. Besides shopping, visitors can enjoy activities like bowling, ice skating, movie-going at a 12-cinema theater, and several arcades. The Manila clinic also sees patients here and several hair and nail salons operate within the mall.
#7 – West Edmonton Mall
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Open to the public since 1981, the West Edmonton Mall is the second biggest mall in North America but only #7 in the world. The 3.8 million square feet of leasable area are filled with over 800 stores. It also contains a water park, skating rink, casino, and amusement park rides.





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