Something Extra: Where Are the Mega-Malls?
MIAMI (CBS4) - Millions of us hit the malls today on what's probably the busiest shopping day this year. And our malls are the biggest and best in the world, right? Nope.
Malls in Asia have blown America's out of the water.
The Dubai Mall is the largest in total area, with a Seaquarium and an indoor amusement park. But it's not even the coolest in Dubai. The Mall of the Emirates has an indoor ski slope.
Mega malls have exploded in China, but the world's biggest in leasable space is a ghost town: the massive New South China mall in Dongguan is almost completely empty.
It's almost twice the size of the biggest in North America and that's not in the U.S.... it's the West Edmonton Mall in Canada.
The biggest in total space here is still Minnesota's Mall of America.
We're no slouches in South Florida... Aventura Mall and Sawgrass Mills are fifth and sixth in the U.S. in total retail space.
In his new book, "Civilization," British author Niall Ferguson points out only three of the world's thirty biggest malls are in the U.S. He worries it shows other countries are more fully embracing the consumer society that's a pillar of Western economic growth.
So go out and shop!
