Malls, plazas, downtown shops, online stores, open markets… there are so many choices for consumers in today's market.

And while the face of shopping centers is changing, it's creating opportunity for businesses to reinvent themselves in this new economy.Shoppers are finding it easier in their fast-paced lives to go online and have everything from their new shoes to groceries and even transportation delivered directly to their door with the press of a button.More and more people prefer shopping online and spending the time they save at a beautiful park enjoying nature.Area malls like Carbon Shopping Plaza and even the Lehigh Valley Mall are still holding strong and even seeing growth with added shops and eateries. But that isn't the case in many other areas.According to an article in the Wall Street Journal, cities like Burlington, Vermont; Rochester, New York and Palm Springs, California, are demolishing urban shopping centers and constructing residential and office buildings in their place. This opens up closed-off streets and creates beautiful public spaces in their place.Another example is Ohio's Columbus Commons, which opened in 2011. The City Center shopping mall once stood there, however it has been replaced with a privately owned park spanning 6 acres of green lawns, Bocce ball courts, a hand-carved carousel and concert and event space. Better yet, the parking structure still exists underground.City officials in Worcester, Massachusetts, expect that the $90 million in public funding they spent will result in over $300 million in privately funded developments and the ability to collect higher tax revenues.Green Bay, Wisconsin, has realized that people naturally gravitate to cities built with grids and small shops. Their downtown mall was closed back in 2006 to make way for offices and the repaving of a street that was once covered by the mall.I recently read a very interesting article where the oldest shopping mall in the country was converted to small apartments on the second and third floors while on the main floor small shops such as a coffee shop, bakery and other specialty shops have been opened to not only serve the residents, but the public. It is a beautiful building with a three-story atrium in the center.The tenants love to showcase their tiny apartments that do not include traditional full kitchens, as that would have created expensive issues for the developers. Instead they only have a microwave, small refrigerator and a dishwasher. The smallest apartments total about 350 square feet in size. Bathrooms are extremely small as well, giving you just the basic necessities.The take-away from this should not be that of despair. Instead this should be looked upon as opportunities to think outside of the box, create uses that are entirely different and move forward to the next level of commerce. We are lucky here in Carbon County to have a healthy mix of retail, commerce and nature … often times rolled into one!Carbon Chamber and Economic Development Corp. loves to work with new and existing entrepreneurs and businesses who like to think outside the box. Contact us today and see what we can help you create.Kathy Henderson is director of Economic Development for the Carbon Chamber and Economic Development.