Malls - what's going on???

Is renting in a mall worth the rent you pay?
A friend asked me if I could recommend a mall for her new business so I thought I'd have a look around for a good deal for her in a somewhat busier mall.
I used the search and being practical thought those that paid the most for their ad would probably be the busiest but oh boy was I wrong.
I think I visited about ten of the top advertisers in classifieds and in not one was there more than five people - so my question is; Is it worth renting in these big malls and sometimes paying huge rents for the privilege?
Are malls worth having at all? if the bigger ones are empty where is everyone shopping??
I know I now have my own little shop, so no more rents to pay and I don't pay a huge amount for advertising, but I am doing better than I was in a mall - so if you are renting think about it - is it worth the rent you are paying?
Or are the owners just sitting back and raking in the rents not caring about whether you are making anything?
Not all malls are like this but are the majority?
Feel free to leave your comments I would like some feedback on this subject.
Dana XxX