The mall isn’t what it used to be. But that doesn’t mean it’s dead. So runs the strapline in an interesting article in The Atlantic (link in comments).
The point is important as one of the predominant narratives about shopping has been that malls are in terminal decline.
Now, to be fair, there has been a drop in the number of malls, and some are still struggling. However, at the other end of the spectrum some malls are thriving. At Brookfield’s highest quality malls, tenant sales are more than 18% above pre-pandemic levels. And shopping center vacancy is now nearly the lowest it has been in 20 years, at 5.4%.
So, the picture is very mixed.
What’s changing more is the composition of malls – in other words, the stores and services that go in them. Generally, department store anchors are less important, and an ecosystem of great brands and more experience are more critical. Just this past week we’ve had two interesting articles on how lifestyle gyms are taking more space, and how Netflix is opening experiential stores in old department store spaces.
But reformulating traditional malls is far from easy. The experience of Brookfield in trying to repurpose some of the malls it acquired from GGP into mixed-used mini-cities exemplifies this. So far, only two properties have been redeveloped.
Nevertheless, such change is vital for malls to remain relevant. The bottom line is that most consumers like in-person shopping, but they want modern experiences that deliver on needs that are different to the past.
#retail #retailnews #malls #shoppingcenters #realestate #shopping
Head of EMEA at ŌURA | ex Apple, Therabody, Electrolux
1wMy favourite activation to date! Meghan Reynolds