Malls

The first half of 2025 shows a bifurcated retail market. While foot traffic is up for experiences and value brands, it lags for discretionary items. This is driving leasing momentum in prime locations, even as overall retail sales are propped up by high-income households.

Din Tai Fung achieves an incredible $27.4 million average unit volume, nearly double its next competitor. This success is a boon for malls, boosting foot traffic, increasing dwell time, and extending evening visits, proving a powerful destination brand can uplift an entire retail ecosystem.

Mall traffic dipped in June but overall H1 2025 performance remains largely positive. Indoor malls lead in growth and dwell time. Open-air malls surpassed pre-pandemic visits. Indoor malls significantly narrowed their pre-COVID visit gap in Q2, signaling an accelerating recovery.

Providence's historic Arcade, built in 1828, transformed into a mixed-use micro-loft and retail space. This led to a dramatic shift in its audience. Visitor demographics moved from young urbanites to more affluent, suburban families. The Arcade's trade area significantly expanded, drawing customers from farther away, proving adaptive strategies can revitalize historic retail.

April 2025 data showed a resurgence in mall activity, with YoY visits up across all formats. Diving deeper into the data uncovers the why behind these visitation patterns.

Class B malls offer significant potential for investors and retailers to unlock value while meeting the needs of local communities. We took a look at how some of these malls - typically located in suburban or secondary markets - are being redeveloped to better serve today's consumer.

We analyzed traffic data for one of the most-visited open-air shopping centers in the nation, Victoria Gardens, to see what sets it apart and what continues to draw consumers to open-air centers.