The struggle to make a profit and reduce debt is still being waged at some big companies, including Daiei, once the biggest supermarket chain, Japan Airlines, Sanyo Electric, Rakuten, the biggest internet shopping mall, and Softbank (though the last could be cushioned by its large holding of Yahoo Japan shares).

ECONOMIST: Japan's financial institutions

The telcos may want to treat the Internet like a shopping mall that they own, but the premises are looking awfully sketchy.

FORBES: No Winners in Net Neutrality Debate

The expediency of bulk-leasing negotiations may explain why, despite the theory of a few years ago that the Internet would turn malls into dustbins, mall REITs in general have scored higher total returns (stock appreciation plus dividends) than other kinds of property trusts.

FORBES: Good Neighbors

I'm a newbie to this, but the Internet hype machine has promised me a virtual mall to myself.

CNN: WINDOWS SHOPPING

Internet entrepreneur runs Japan's leading online shopping mall Rakuten.

FORBES: Magazine Article

The impetus for the coming revolution, of course, is the Internet, which big business hopes to turn into a borderless shopping mall.

CNN: Cash -- or E-Money?

Both come complete with a king-size bed or double beds, breakfast buffet for two, high-speed internet access, self parking, airport shuttle and transportation to the nearby International Mall and Westshore Plaza.

BBC: Daily deal: Untamed adventures in Tampa Bay

It is easy to see why the mall was the first image that sprang to mind when people started to think about electronic commerce on the Internet.

ECONOMIST: Electronic commerce