The Shopping Mall Phenomenon Reading Answer

Mar 19, 2025

The Shopping Mall Phenomenon is an IELTS Reading Answer which contains 13 questions and needs to be completed within 20 minutes. This reading answer also helps you to prepare for your IELTS exam. The Shopping Mall Phenomenon consists of questions like: Write no more than three words and/or a number for each answer and do the following statements agree with the views of the writer of the text. Participants should go through the IELTS Reading passage to recognize synonyms, identify keywords, and answer the questions. Also, The Shopping Mall Phenomenon Reading Answers chats give a brief about shopping malls. Candidates can use IELTS reading practice questions and answers to enhance their performance in the reading section.

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Topic:

The Shopping Mall Phenomenon

The place to go shopping used to be the Main Street or High Street. This is no longer true. The shopping mall has become the place where most of what used to be called high street shopping takes place. Shopping malls are regularly used by all, with 65 per cent of adults visiting at least one every month. Malls are also no longer simply a place to shop; they are a place to spend time with friends, share opinions, enjoy a coffee, meal or even a movie. This improved leisure experience obviously affects the amount of time spent per visit by shoppers, with the average time spent in the larger ones over double that of national averages.

There are a variety of pluses with the shopping mall experience. Malls offer complimentary parking and inclement weather does not affect shoppers, as they do not have to go outside at any point. The main perceived advantages are the bywords of today's modern age - variety and convenience. Everything that is needed for most shopping trips is under one roof. One trip with the car and the required shopping can be done and the rest of the day can be devoted to other things. Retailers, too, are happy. Modern malls are designed to facilitate browsing and buying, and the placement of stores is carefully controlled to provide the optimum experience. Large department stores are placed at corners and to go between them, shoppers have to pass a variety of speciality shops. Other statistics support retailers' satisfaction. 90 per cent of western consumers have visited a shopping centre within the last six months and the average spend per visit for western malls is over twice as much as the national shopping trip average, showing the positive effect of purpose-built leisure destinations on shoppers' propensity to purchase. The majority of visitors to malls are female and they are more likely to buy than male visitors in most shopping situations. Finally, 51 per cent of shoppers will make a spontaneous purchase, showing how the evolution of the shopping mall into a highly entertaining leisure environment has also changed shopping behaviour and mindset. All the above experiences have now become associated with social fulfillment.

Of course there are disadvantages to shopping malls. The shopping mall favours the large and chain retailers and so smaller and family-run shops find it difficult to compete. In the end, this actually reduces variety and the competition that drives down prices. In addition, customers will spend more than they intend to in shopping malls. On average, people impulse buy and browse far more than they intend to. This is great for the shops, but not so good for the individuals unless they have the funds. Finally, shopping malls can get extremely crowded, especially at weekends. This involves the shopper making his or her way through crowds of people in the regulated and air-conditioned atmosphere. This is probably a dream for retailers, but not many people would think of this as a pleasant experience if they stopped to think about it. The only disadvantage for retailers is that, because of all the advantages, malls can demand prohibitive prices for leasing locations of the store.

The influence and profitability of shopping malls have been affected by the introduction of Internet shopping, but not as much as may be thought. Although shopping on the Internet offers the ultimate convenience with shoppers not even needing to leave the house, this is not what all shoppers want. Many people like the experience of going out, seeing other people and going to real stores. Many people like to see and touch the groceries they will buy, especially meat, fish, fruits and vegetables that need to be seen and touched to gauge quality and freshness. With clothes, many people like to try on clothes before buying, so that they don't buy something they have to return. E-shopping returns are often at the buyer’s expense.

The shopping mall phenomenon has also had an impact on advertisers. Because of malls' leisure facilities such as restaurants, coffee shops and entertainment venues, 86 per cent of shoppers would rather visit malls than their high street, and this makes malls the places with the highest reported levels of annual footfall. Advertising agencies now claim that you can communicate with 75 per cent of western populations every two weeks through a campaign in the top malls in a selection of western countries. Shopping malls also attract the types of consumers that retailers want. There are the higher income females (the principal audience of mall ads), who want to combine a meeting with their friends with lunch and a shopping trip. There are the young and upwardly mobile, who want to meet and hang out with their friends. There are the family groups at weekends, who want a safe place for the children whilst combining grocery trips, other shopping and maybe a trip to the cinema. There are even creches in some malls, so that the youngest of children can be cared for safely whilst the adults spend. Malls are also one of the most successful places to target the teenager, that most elusive of consumers. The average visit to a mall takes one hour and twenty minutes, which provides plenty of time for all these consumers to see a bewildering variety of ads as well as shop.

Questions 28-34

Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.

Shoppers

Advantages

- Free (28).........

Answer: parking

Supporting statement: "Malls offer complimentary parking...

Keywords: Malls, complimentary parking

Keyword Location: para 2, line 1

Explanation: The text states that malls provide free parking, which is a key advantage for shoppers as it reduces additional costs and enhances convenience.

- Protection from bad weather.

- Perception of more choice.

- Perception of more convenience.

Retailers

Advantages

- Promotes (29)........... and purchasing.

Answer: browsing

Supporting statement: "Modern malls are designed to facilitate browsing and buying..."

Keywords: Malls, browsing and buying

Keyword Location: para 2, line 6

Explanation: Malls are structured to encourage customers to explore more stores, increasing the likelihood of purchases.

- Stores are carefully arranged.

- (30)..... of customers go to a mall within 1/2 a year.

Answer: 90 per cent

Supporting statement: "90 per cent of western consumers have visited a shopping centre within the last six months..."

Keywords:90 per cent, western consumers

Keyword Location: para 2, line 9

Explanation: This statistic highlights that malls remain a major attraction for shoppers within a six-month period.

- Shopping mall spending is higher.

- Most shopping mall visitors are female (more likely to buy).

- Impulse buying more likely.

- (31)..... is linked to all these advantages.

Answer: social fulfillment

Supporting statement: "All the above experiences have now become associated with social fulfillment."

Keywords: experiences, social fulfillment

Keyword Location: para 2, line 16

Explanation: Shopping malls have evolved into social spaces, where shopping and leisure activities contribute to consumer satisfaction.

Shoppers

Disadvantages

- Smaller and family-run shops are disadvantaged and close down - less choice + (32)..........

Answer: competition

Supporting statement: "In the end, this actually reduces variety and the competition that drives down prices."

Keywords: competition, reduces variety

Keyword Location: para 3, line 2

Explanation: The dominance of large retailers in malls limits competition, leading to higher prices and reduced choices for consumers.

- Customers will spend more than they intend - more impulse buying + browsing.

- Very busy and an artificially a/c- controlled (33)............

Answer: atmosphere

Supporting statement: "This involves the shopper making his or her way through crowds of people in the regulated and air-conditioned atmosphere."

Keywords: shopper, air-conditioned atmosphere

Keyword Location: para 3, line 6

Explanation: The artificial climate and high density of people can make the shopping experience less pleasant.

Retailers

Disadvantages

- Renting space in malls means elevated (34)........

Answer: leasing prices

Supporting statement: "Malls can demand prohibitive prices for leasing locations of the store."

Keywords: Malls, prohibitive prices

Keyword Location: para 3, line 10

Explanation: Retailers face high rental costs due to the premium location and high foot traffic in shopping malls.

Questions 35-40

Do the following statements agree with the views of the writer of the text?

In boxes 35-40 on your answer sheet write:

YES - if the statement agrees with the writer's views

NO - if the statement doesn't agree the writer's views

NOT GIVEN - if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this

35. The advent of online shopping has not reduced shopping mall revenues.

Answer: No

Supporting statement: "The influence and profitability of shopping malls have been affected by the introduction of Internet shopping, but not as much as may be thought."

Keywords: Malls, Internet shopping

Keyword Location: para 4, line 1

Explanation: The statement suggests that online shopping has not affected mall revenues at all, but the passage states that while malls have been affected, the impact is not as severe as expected. This means revenues have been impacted, just not drastically.

36. The number of grocery stores in shopping malls is currently rising.

Answer: Not Given

Supporting statement: -

Keywords: -

Keyword Location: -

Explanation: The passage discusses the presence of grocery stores and why people prefer physical stores for certain items, but it does not mention whether their number in malls is increasing.

37. Returning items is more advantageous when shopping online.

Answer: No

Supporting statement: "E-shopping returns are often at the buyer’s expense."

Keywords: E-shopping, buyer’s expense

Keyword Location: para 4, line 8

Explanation: The passage states that online returns often require the buyer to pay for shipping, making them less advantageous than in-store returns, which are typically free or easier.

38. Statistics show that over three-quarters of consumers now prefer malls to traditional town shopping.

Answer: No

Supporting statement: "Because of malls' leisure facilities... 86 per cent of shoppers would rather visit malls than their high street."

Keywords: Malls, 86 per cen

Keyword Location: para 5, line 2

Explanation: The statement mentions "over three-quarters," which is roughly 75%, but the passage states 86%. The statistics do not match exactly, so the statement is incorrect.

39. Advertisers target women more than men in their mall advertisements.

Answer: Yes

Supporting statement: "Shopping malls also attract the types of consumers that retailers want. There are the higher income females (the principal audience of mall ads)..."

Keywords: consumers, shopping malls

Keyword Location: para 5, line 4

Explanation: The passage explicitly states that high-income females are the primary audience for mall advertisements, supporting the statement.

40. Teenagers provide the highest revenues to shopping malls.

Answer: No

Supporting statement: "Malls are also one of the most successful places to target the teenager, that most elusive of consumers."

Keywords: consumers, shopping malls

Keyword Location: para 5, line 13-14

Explanation: The passage mentions that malls are successful in attracting teenagers, but it does not state that teenagers provide the highest revenues. Other consumer groups, such as high-income females and families, are mentioned as important revenue contributors.

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