Deptford Mall tried charging $10 to park closer to the doors. It didn’t go well.
“People are struggling,” said one mall regular. “Paying an extra $10 to park at the mall is not necessary.”
As William L. Smith III walked into the Deptford Mall on Labor Day, ready to do back-to-school shopping for his 8-year-old son, signs mounted on a few empty parking spots caught his eye.
The placards notified shoppers that these spots, which were closer to mall entrances, cost $10 a day. Smith, a 51-year-old social worker living in Clementon, said he visits the mall a couple times a month, and had never seen the signs before his Sept. 1 visit.
He snapped a photo and posted it on Facebook, writing: “I’m good. I need the steps anyway!”
“I thought it was kind of funny. With the decline of malls and the boom of Amazon and being able to buy stuff off TikTok,” it seemed like another factor that could drive consumers away from brick-and-mortar retail, Smith said. “People are struggling. Paying an extra $10 to park at the mall is not necessary.”
Smith was among hundreds of Philadelphia-area consumers who took to social media over the past few weeks to weigh in on the mall’s quiet rollout of “premier parking.” Many criticized the program, calling it “unreal,” “ridiculous,” and “nonsense.” Some said it was one reason they preferred to shop online.
Deptford Mall executives heard customers. Macerich, the California company which owns the South Jersey center and the Fashion District Philadelphia, announced this week that the program was being “phased out.”
A company spokesperson declined to specify how long the premier spots had been in place. They numbered about 50, out of more than 5,000 parking spots at the shopping center. The program did not take away from other reserved parking spaces near the mall for expectant mothers and veterans, and accessible spaces required under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Some on social media were quick to point out that even the region’s most thriving malls, including King of Prussia and Cherry Hill, don’t charge shoppers to self-park in a good parking spot. Several restaurants at the Cherry Hill Mall offer free valet parking, but the mall itself does not have valet or paid parking spots.
On Wednesday morning, Smith said he saw on local TV news that the $10 spots were eliminated. He was pleased, he said, though he would never have paid to park there anyway.
The South Jersey native said he has always enjoyed the Deptford Mall but would rather spend his money at the stores and restaurants inside, not in the parking lot.
“I could see if they had a premium restaurant where you needed valet parking,” Smith said. “But I can park and walk to Red Robin.”