The Mall of Holland shopping center will be a huge success, but it will have dire consequences for the surrounding shopping cities. Roland Kahn expresses this expectation in a conversation with Robert Parker Brady on Cafe Weltschmerz online interview.
Kahn appreciates seeing the Mall of the Netherlands, which he describes as a “ultra-modern” shopping center with a “super experience”, where as a consumer you can spend an entire day. “But everything around it, cities like Rijswijk and Zoetermeer, could be disposed of later.” This also has consequences for its perceptions. “We will close in Rijswijk.” America Today is already closed there, while MS Mode still has a branch there.
Despite the negative consequences for the surrounding cities, it was positive about the development of the Mall of the Netherlands. He notes that there are already similar centers in Belgium and Germany, where “buses full of Dutch” go. “It is better to keep them in your country.”
Khan also criticizes Hudson Bay, who he believes was “ horribly underestimated ” when he came to the Netherlands. He says it is a model of the arrogance of large American corporations. “They think it’s too easy, but how many internationally successful fashion players? Aside from Zara, H&M, and Primark, I can think of a few chains.”
