Flutterby™! :

What to do with all that spare retail space in the new age of internet commerce? Sears Holdings has formed a new unit to convert unused Sears & K-Mart stores to data centers. Part of the thought is that food courts mean you've already got the amenities on-site for workers.

“There are compelling reasons why this is a great model,” said Farney. “It used to be the business continuity centers were located in an industrial park. The customer has evolved to the point where they want a sexier location, where they can have access to a Starbucks and other retail, because it’s possible they may be there for weeks or months. Sears and Kmart stores are located in just such retail locations in major malls.”

Via /.: Sears Is Turning Shuttered Stores Into Data Centers.

Fascinating that as we start to realize how bad the planning decisions were that led to the creation of business parks, the market may be repurposing malls to fix some of those issues.