How Do They Get Cars in the Mall? [Secret Revealed!]

Many malls have stairs and ramps leading up to the doors, making it impossible to drive a car in. Or, the doors look far too small, yet it’s common to see cars inside malls. So, in this article, I will cover how they get cars inside malls.

Generally speaking, cars are brought inside a mall using a ramp on a loading dock or through a large enough door to fit the car. Often, the main entrance of the mall is used to bring cars inside. Many mall doors appear too small, but they can be unlocked to make them wide enough to fit a car.

Below, I will explain in more detail the process used to get cars in a mall based on what many people report who have worked in malls and who have seen them bring cars into malls.

Places a Car Can Get Inside a Mall [& How They Do It]

New cars are often displayed in malls so people can get a close-up look at all the new features and as a method to market a new car. 

They are also used in competitions, like raffles where people can win a car, which is a great way to bring more customers into a mall. But, at first glance, it appears that it would be tough to get a car into a mall, so here’s how they physically get a car inside a mall.

Generally, it will be driven through the nearest doors the car will fit through. Commonly, things will be in the way in the aisles in a mall, such as ornamental plants and kiosks.

Doing so requires planning to find the door that will provide the shortest route. People who work in malls have stated that cars are virtually always moved into a mall after opening hours. This is done so that they don’t also need to have people make sure shoppers aren’t in the way. 

Here’s a video that shows a display car being driven out of a mall in the Philippines:

As you can see, sometimes it can be a tight squeeze, and few people are required to help guide it so that it doesn’t scrape the doors, and the wing mirrors are retracted to make the car narrower.

Loading docks can be used but often are too much work

As you may be aware, there are loading docks in many malls. A loading dock will tend to have a long gradual ramp with a large door about 8 feet (2.44 meters) wide. 

The average width of a car is under 7 feet, so a loading dock door provides enough space for a car to be driven through. They have a ramp that makes it easy to drive a car from ground level up to the level where the stores are if required. 

On paper, loading docks are good places for cars to be driven into a mall. The one main issue is that loading docks are almost always located where it’s hard to drive a car to where it needs to be, and they are typically located at the back of stores.

This means that car will need to drive through a store to access the walkways and the large open center areas where they will be displayed. Because of this reason, everything in a store will need to be moved. 

In some types of stores, like department stores, this is impractical because the display racks are bolted into the ground. It would take far too long to clear the shelves, unbolt and remove the racks, and put everything back again. 

Cars displayed in malls are generally part of a promotion or to showcase a new car model. Therefore, they are only kept on display for about a month. So, afterward, the entire process needs to be repeated again. Making it logistically too tricky in most cases to use a loading dock to get a car into a mall.

Cars can be displayed on any level of a mall usually

There are a few types of elevators. Some are heavy-duty, big, and strong enough to hold a car. But, most malls are NOT equipped with an elevator of this size. 

Therefore, a car must come in through the doors used for goods or shoppers. Many malls have ‘bollards,’ short poles designed to stop cars from accidentally driving onto things like sidewalks and shopfronts. 

These are often found at the entrances to malls. However, many malls have bollards that can be unlocked and slid down out of the way. Or are electric and can be raised or lowered using central controls. The car parking areas found at shopping malls can be multi-story or single-story, so the car park entrance on any level of a mall can typically be used to drive a car in.

Can a Car Fit Down the Aisles in a Shopping Mall?

The aisles in a mall are designed so that two or more people can walk side by side. This makes it the most comfortable for shoppers. But, here is whether the aisles in a shopping mall are wide enough for a car.

On average, a car can fit down the aisles in a shopping mall. The average width of a car is under 7 feet (2.13 m). According to the US Department of Transportation, the recommended width of shopping district aisles is 8 feet (2.44 meters). But 6 feet (1.82 m) is considered the minimum (source).

Therefore, not every shopping mall will have aisles that are wide enough for a car to drive down. But, most modern malls take into consideration that cars and other vehicles like forklifts and aerial work platforms will need to be moved inside malls from time to time. 

These are required for repairs and renovations and are a similar width to a car. And so they have planned the aisles to be wide enough to accommodate them.

Do They Drive a Car To Get It in a Shopping Mall?

On flat ground, a car can be pushed reasonably easily by one or two people. There are also special car dollies that can be placed under the wheels of a car so that the rubber tires to mark floors and allow a car to be rotated in place. But, when a car is moved into a shopping mall, here’s whether they drive it in.

Cars are usually driven into the mall (according to those who have worked in the malls). Typically, cars are driven very slowly, so there is the least amount of exhaust fumes possible. However, car dollies are also used sometimes.

Car dollies are necessary when the aisles are too narrow to allow a car to turn the corner without scraping a pillar or storefront. One dolly is placed under each wheel. A jack is used to lift a car up so that a dolly can be placed under each one of the wheels.