With the transition of the U.S. economy from an apparent success to an unknown, it seems like there should be a lot of opportunities to recycle things. This idea is but one of them.
One of the current industries that is apparently not doing well are shopping malls. That comes as no surprise as they tend to be full of businesses that want to sell you things you really don't need. Or, things you do need at higher prices than the alternative. While most malls have been built with family appeal, the real audience has traditionally been women.
The family may make a trip to the mall but more likely than not, dad will take the kids to get some fast food or at least ice cream while mom buys anything from clothing to kitchen items.
If we assume the economy will continue to flounder, there are some things that will become more important to buy and some things to learn. While I am suggesting these are guy things what I mean are things that have traditionally been seen as what males do. More important, these are not the types of things that have traditionally been found in malls.
Here are some possible stores

• Building supply/home repair stores
• Recycling centers
• Thrift stores (used items)
• Internet cafe
• Repair centers for, for example, appliances
• Garden supply store

I would add to the mix some training centers. This could be anything from very targeted classes such as How to Refurbish Plaster Walls or How to Grow Vegetables to more general vocational education programs such as welding and carpentry.
While the guys are attending a class on fixing the roof, there could be edutainment opportunities for the rest of the family from computer access to cooperative cooking. Another way to look at the whole idea is that the primary focus of a mall could be changed from making big business a lot of money into more of a community center.