Key Difference: Shopping malls or malls are large enclosed spaces that are often characterized with many stores that sell merchandise to the public. Malls can be medium to large in size, depending on the construction and the number of stores that it wants to hold. The term ‘bazaar’ can mean many different things depending on the country that it has been used it. When used in the Middle East or Asian countries, the word refers to an open market that sells a variety of different goods including foods, spices, household items, etc. In the western countries, such as the United States, the term is used to refer to a flea market that sells many different goods on sale.

Shopping malls or malls are large enclosed spaces that are often characterized with many stores that sell merchandise to the public. These places are also referred to as shopping arcade or shopping precinct. Malls can be medium to large in size, depending on the construction and the number of stores that it wants to hold. Shopping centers usually refer to smaller malls, while shopping malls are used to refer to the large shopping areas. The malls are enclosed and have centralized cooling or heating, depending on the weather and the area where the mall is located. Malls are also car-friendly and are associated with having large parking spaces in an underground parking lot or an adjoining building. The malls also have many different stores that sell many different kinds of merchandise, including food, jewelry, clothes, specialized stores, watches, etc.

The concept of the mall has not been a new one; they have been around since Ancient Rome. The concept itself has been acquired from the Trajan's Market that was one of the earliest shopping centers that established in Rome. Rome’s are also known for its many bazaars, which eventually developed to shopping malls. The malls gained popularity around the 1920s, following World War II, when people started shifting to the suburbs from the city. In order to make it easier for the people to shop, many stores were opened in one bigger store that allowed easier access to the various stores in the same place.

The malls have a variety of branded and local based stores. The prices of the stores also vary depending on the type of the store; while branded stores are quite pricy; other smaller stores offer normal prices on merchandise. Malls are also associated with having food courts, movie theatres, play area and many other attractions to draw in the public. A few malls, such as the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota, have also housed an amusement park inside to mall itself. Malls are quite large and require a lot of time to try and visit every store. They have elevators, escalators, stairs and walkways to help the public get around from one place to another. There are various different kinds of malls: Neighborhood center, Community center, Regional center, Superregional center, Fashion/specialty center, Power center, Theme/festival center and outlet center. Another feature of the mall is that they cannot conduct sales online, they must have a proper outlet; though they can have their own websites that state upcoming events, the number of stores or a list of the stores they have, etc.

The term ‘bazaar’ can mean many different things depending on the country that it has been used it. The word’s meaning changes depending on the context that it is being used in. When used in the Middle East or Asian countries, the word refers to an open market that sells a variety of different goods including foods, spices, household items, etc. In the western countries, such as the United States, the term is used to refer to a flea market that sells many different goods on sale. In UK, the word takes another meaning, referring to shops that sell an assortment of donated or second hand items for charity. These are connected to churches or charities that help raise money for a greater cause.

 The most common usage of the word is used to refer to a market, an open or a closed area that holds many different street vendors that sell goods and products to the people. The people are expected to haggle and bargain for the merchandise, asking the vendor to reduce the price or club more items in the same price. These sale people bring goods from all over the places and can even sell exotic merchandise from foreign countries. The stall vendors usually have nearby places where the stalls can be locked up and covered for the night, some even rent out locations nearby to keep their cart and goods so that they would not have to waste time transporting it.

The word ‘bazaar’ has been derived from a Pahlavi word, ‘baha-char’ meaning “place of prices.” The term became famous after it was adapted world-wide from the Persian using ‘bazaar’ to refer to open markets where buyers and sellers could meet and bargain prices for goods they require. Bazaar can be limited to selling only one kind of thing, or it can sell a variety of goods as well. Some bazaars have become famous for selected kinds of things such as the Zaveri Bazaar in Mumbai, India, which is well-known for selling gold, gems and other kinds of jewelry. Many places maintain bazaars, in addition to malls and supermarkets, as it is considered a part of the culture. Bazaars are also expected to have a cheaper price tag compared to the merchandise sold in malls.

Image Courtesy: prodryers.com, boxingkitten.com