Flux City and Eric C Productions examine Fairlane Town Center, a tale of the Retail Apocalypse for Boxing Day

I promised "an update on the Retail Apocalypse for Boxing Day," so I'm following through with Flux City examining Dearbo[r]n Michigan's Fairlane Mall and the Collapse of the Traditional Shopping Mall, a video my wife found — thanks!

In this episode, Eddy breaks down troubling reports that Fairlane Town Center in Dearborn may owe nearly $4 million in unpaid property taxes.

Drawing from personal memories of growing up in Metro Detroit and professional experience as a developer, Eddy explains why Fairlane Mall has long mattered to Dearborn and surrounding communities—and why this situation signals a much larger issue facing malls across the country. He explores how declining foot traffic, e-commerce, shifting consumer behavior, and outdated mall formats are putting pressure on once-dominant retail assets.

While I write about national and global issues, I'm still based in Metro Detroit, so I'm always happy to encounter relevant local creators like Eddy. They will uncover situations like Fairlane Town Center's that sources with a national focus wouldn't even notice. They will also hit close to home. Like Northland Mall, I shopped and mall-walked at Fairlane Town Center. That was more than 20 years ago, when I taught at Henry Ford Community College in Dearborn. I found Fairlane Town Center impressive then, but the reality looks different now. Sigh.

Eddy described the current situation at Fairlane Town Center. Eric C Productions recounted the mall's history in Do You Remember Fairlane Town Center in Dearborn Michigan?

Fairlane Town Center is a super-regional shopping mall in the Detroit suburb of Dearborn, Michigan. The mall is adjacent to The Henry Hotel, The Fairlane Club, the University of Michigan–Dearborn, Henry Ford Community College, The Henry Ford, and the Ford Motor Company headquarters. The anchor stores are Macy's and JCPenney, with vacant anchor spaces last occupied by AMC Theatres, Sears, and Ford Motor Company offices.

Following a major renovation in 2007, the mall features a large food court, full-service restaurants, several eateries, and merchandise for the urbanized market.[2] The mall is about a 15-minute drive from downtown Detroit, Wayne State University, or Metro Airport.

Eric C counts six anchor stores closing. Not really. Hudson's becoming Marshall Field's, which was then renamed to Macy's, were just changes in ownership and branding; the locations were still in business afterwards, and the Macy's is still open, so I count four, maybe three-and-one-half because of the change from Saks Fifth Avenue to Saks Off Fifth because of the change in location, footprint, and branding despite the continuity of ownership. That's still not good. Viewers can see the Retail Apocalypse in action through the late 2010s into the 2020s as stores and offices close.

That's a wrap for today. Stay tuned for year-end retrospectives through New Year's Eve.