Image, location and development of malls in Argentina: A case study of Buenos Aires

Malls are the largest spaces of symbolic and mercantile consumption of today´s capitalist society. The aim of this article is to analyse the evolution, structural characteristics, geographical location, and citizens’ motivations to visit malls in Argentina, particularly in Buenos Aires. The results show how malls have been introduced and consolidated in this semi-peripheral country as a modern form of commercial activity. The spatial location of malls in Buenos Aires is highly and positively related with population density and with the purchasing power of their inhabitants.