Community-oriented consumption and opportunities for change in shopping centre/mall design

Shopping centres are the bastions of the consumer age, promoting in their design the desire to continue to consume at an unsustainable rate. However there is growing evidence that new paradigms of consumption are emerging in developed countries, led by evolving technologies and online shopping, that are shifting consumer values and behaviours - and the environments in which we shop will need to adapt. Community-oriented consumption paradigms relate to behavioural changes that link people more closely, socially and/or culturally, with each other, providing a sense of community. These can be virtual or face-to-face. Collaborative consumption, the 'Me vs We' economies, service economies, the slow movement and prosumption are examples. This paper will discuss the variety of community-oriented consumption paradigms, addressing food as a linking concept, and their influence on shopping centre/mall design.