They should become all encompassing apartment complexes with shops for old people. Reinvent the old people home into a whole "town". Hot topic is now the local diner. Yonkers is now a mini apartment building where everyone sleeps. Macy's is a movie theater. Etc etc
Agreed, the redevelopment potential is definitely there. Considering you already have the existing structure and land, there is a ton you can do with it.
Embracing the "modern" mixed residential-commercial-retail model of development instead of just being storefronts over and over again is the way to go with it.
Long-term, as retail goes more and more digital, I would think the only storefronts that will remain will be the ones that
have to be physical -- repair shops. restaurants, premium retailers for durable goods that require a significant purchase by consumers, and the like.