The traditional American mal l — enclosed, climate-controlled and anchored by department stores like Sears, JCPenney and Macy’s — once defined New Jersey suburban life.

It was more than a collection of shops and a food court. It was a destination where families spent Saturdays together, teenagers met friends and holiday crowds filled the parking lots.

With more malls per square mile than any other state, mall life was once so ingrained in New Jersey life that it helped define the state’s culture.

But that blueprint is changing.

Retail experts say the nation’s shopping centers must reinvent themselves to survive shifting consumer habits.

And New Jersey is becoming the epicenter for the dawning of a new era of malls.

At least six major malls — from Westfield Garden State Plaza in the

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