A mall is more significant than a department store, which is comparatively smaller. A department store is a place that tends to sell specific name brands and items, which are difficult to obtain anywhere else, or their availability is limited. For example, Nordstrom has created many kinds of Nordstrom brand labels, such as 1901, BP., and Halogen. Another example is that only certain department stores carry Seven7 Jeans for all mankind.
While department stores often carry brand-specific items, the mall is a more prominent place containing a wide array of different stores that sell a variety of merchandise. Malls also typically have food courts, and while Nordstrom’s has an operating café, it is rare for department stores to have places to eat. Shoppers can move from one shop to the next in a mall, while a department store is one big shop enclosed in one area.
A department store can be part of a retail chain of stores. They often sell products such as home appliances, furniture, electronics, clothing, jewelry, purses, luggage, shoes, cosmetics, and fragrance, while a mall is not a part of any retail chain. You can also describe a mall as a town center, a shopping precinct, or a shopping center.