Thanks for Visiting!

Register for free to get the full story.

Sign Up
Already have a Placer.ai account? Log In

Placer.ai Mall Indexes: September 2022 Recap

by 
Ethan Chernofsky
 on 
October 4, 2022
Placer.ai Mall Indexes: September 2022 Recap

About the Placer.ai Mall Indexes: These Indexes analyze data from more than 100 top-tier indoor malls, 100 open-air lifestyle centers (not including outlet malls) and 100 outlet malls across the country, in both urban and suburban areas. Placer.ai uses anonymized location information from a panel of 30 million devices and processes the data using industry-leading AI and machine learning capabilities to make estimations about overall visits to specific locations. 

A confluence of factors, including ongoing economic headwinds and a challenging comparison to a uniquely strong 2021 Back to School shopping period, positioned shopping centers for a challenging summer season. 

But September created an opportunity for a significant step forward, with signs that some of the economic headwinds were dissipating and further help from a comparison to a month heavily limited by 2021’s Delta variant. 

So how did malls perform?

Steps Forward, But Still Seeing Visit Gaps

Looking at September 2022’s foot traffic year-over-year (YoY) shows that the visit gap for indoor malls decreased to just 0.9%, while outlet malls visits hit their strongest mark since April with visits down just 4.5%. Open-air lifestyle centers did see a minor increase in their visit gap with visits down 1.8% in September. This is a very positive step for shopping centers across the board and shows the resiliency of the segment as the impact of wider economic headwinds continues to dissipate.

The timing of this visit recovery is also critical as it comes ahead of a holiday shopping season that could put brick-and-mortar retail in a particularly advantageous position. Issues with excess inventory could push more products to retailers with a strong brick-and-mortar orientation such as the off-price segment, and could drive some brands to offer the types of major discounts that privilege stores for distribution. The excess inventory could also add more incentive for retailers to extend the holiday season earlier into October to help move more products off shelves.

Comparisons to 2019 Highlight Current Challenges – and Opportunities

Yet, while these mall numbers do mark an important sign of relative strength, it is also important to remember that many malls are still seeing visits lag behind pre-pandemic levels. While YoY visits saw improvements between August and September, a year-over-three-year (Yo3Y) perspective shows a more challenging environment. Here, the more advantageous comparison to a COVID affected September in 2021 is replaced with a ‘normal’ September from 2019. Critically though, shopping patterns have also shifted with visits coming with more intent and driving larger basket sizes. Nonetheless, the comparison shows that there is still more room for growth with malls in the coming months.

Weekly Visit Trends Provide Optimism

And there are signs that the coming weeks could provide this needed rise in visits. Looking at weekly visits week-over-week (WoW) showed increases of 2.6%, 2.5% and 1.7% more Indoor Malls, Open-Air Lifestyle Centers, and Outlet Malls, respectively, for the week beginning September 19th – the first period of WoW growth since the beginning of August. The timing here is crucial as it indicates that the shopping patterns seen last year with lifts in early holiday shopping could be repeating again in 2022. 

Should visits continue to recover alongside these added draws, brick-and-mortar visits could see a strong push as the height of the holiday shopping season nears.

How will malls end 2022? Visit Placer.ai to find out. 

Get 3 brand & industry
breakdowns every week

Subscribe to the newsletter

Great! Prepare your inbox for data-driven insights...
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

Get a Demo

Please enter your first name
Please enter your last name
Please provide a valid email
Please enter your email
Please enter company name

Thanks for reaching out!

One of our experts will be in touch soon

Try Placer.ai Free
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
Text Link
Indoor Malls
Text Link
Outlet Malls
Exploring Luxury Hotel Brands’ Guest Segmentation
The St. Patrick’s Day Effect
How Can JOANN Make a Comeback?
Panera Bread Well Positioned for Possible IPO
Who Will Benefit From Family Dollar’s Downsizing?
Dave & Buster’s and Main Event Entertainment: Food and Fun for Everyone
Darden Brands: Location Analytics and Consumer Behavior
Nike and lululemon: a Strong 2023, Sprinting into 2024
Where Is Retail and Dining Foot Traffic Thriving in Early 2024?
Placer.ai White Paper Recap – February 2024
Three Retail & Dining Chains That May Surprise in 2024
Specialty Discount Chains Rock Retail Therapy
Placer.ai Mall Index: February 2024
Placer.ai Office Index: February 2024 Recap
Ulta Beauty Continues To Shine
First Watch Sails Into 2024
Hibbett Sports and DICK’S Sporting Goods: A Psychographic Analysis
Checking in With Discount & Dollar Stores
Peeking Behind The Curtain: Movie Theaters in 2023 and Beyond
Diving Into Brick-and-Mortar Eyewear
Getting Into Gear: Exploring The Auto Part Industry
Recapping Valentine’s Day 2024 Foot Traffic Trends
Fitness: A Strong Start to 2024
Dutch Bros. Continues To Percolate Visits
Super Bowl 2024: Placer.ai’s Postgame Foot Traffic Analysis
CAVA & sweetgreen Are On the Rise
Hats Off For Off-Price
Who Is Shopping at Malls?
Drilling Down Into Home Improvement
Walmart, Target, Costco & Superstore Space 2023 Recap
Catching Up With Shake Shack and Wingstop
Something To Chew On: Demographic Shifts at Steakhouse Chains
Placer.ai Office Index: Looking Back at 2023
Recapping RBI & Yum! Brands’ 2023 Foot Traffic Performance
Placer.ai White Paper Recap – January 2024
Who Shops at Anthropologie and Urban Outfitters?
Three Taco Chains to Watch in 2024
Starbucks and Dunkin’: 2023 in Four Data Points
Who Visits CVS and Walgreens?
Fashionably Frugal: Apparel in 2023
Catching Up With Fast Food
The Grocery Sector in 2023: An End-of-Year Recap
3 Mall & Shopping Center Trends for 2024
Bakery Chains Rising To The Top
Placer.ai and Esri Partner to Deliver Geospatial Analytics
Tampa Tourism Trends
Going For The Green: The Changing Dynamics Of Country Clubs
Christmas Day Dining Recap
Major Urban Shopping Districts – Holiday Season Recap
Placer.ai Office Index: December 2023 Recap
Recapping the 2023 Holiday Shopping Season
Placer.ai White Paper Recap – December 2023
7 Retail & Dining Segments to Watch in 2024
Diving Into Holiday Season Favorites
Super Saturday and Christmas Eve Eve: A Winning Combination
3 Budget Grocery Chains Finishing 2023 On a High Note
Making It In America: International Chicken Chains Bring The Heat
Domestic Tourism at a Glance: A Q3 2023 Roundup
Five Pizza Chains On The Rise
Jewelry Brands Taking Advantage of the DTC Opportunity
Secondhand News: Kids' Thrift Shops
Recapping 2023’s Dining M&As
MetLife Stadium Kicks Off Football Season
Placer.ai Office Index: November 2023 Recap
Small Coffee Chains Brewing Big Success
Placer.ai White Paper Recap – November 2023
Thanksgiving Travel 2023 Recap
Checking in With Nike and Lululemon
Black Friday 2023 Retail Recap
Starbucks’ 2023 Holiday Menu & Red Cup Day Performance
Turkey Wednesday 2023
Who Attended the 2023 Pickleball Championship? 
Three Surprising Holiday Shopping Trends
What’s in Store for Ulta Beauty This Holiday Season?
Best Buy and Department Stores: A Holiday Deep Dive
Discount & Dollar Stores: Strength Toward The End of the Year
The State of Off-Price Retail: Discounts Seal The Deal
Placer Mall Index Recap: October 2023
Placer.ai Office Index: October 2023 Recap
Retail Corridors Ahead of the 2023 Holiday Season
California, Here Gap Comes
Checking in With Home Improvement
Getting Into the Glasses Game: Warby Parker Takes Over
Fitness Positioned for a Strong 2023 Finish
White Paper Recap: October 2023
Coffee Giants Brewing Up Business
Popeyes and Burger King Lead the Way
Diving into Yum!
Looking Ahead to Black Friday 2023
Blockbusters Drive Movie Theater Comeback
Crocs and Boot Barn: Shoe-Ins for Success
McDonald’s and Chipotle's Winning Recipe
The State Of Steak: Checking in With Texas Roadhouse
Pleasant Pastimes: Pickleball Potential Proves Potent
Who’s Driving Downtown Manhattan’s Weekend Revival?
Diving into Downtown Manhattan Foot Traffic Trends
Rite Aid: Rightsizing Right
Major League Soccer: Its Die-Hard and Casual Fans
The Anchor Recap: September 2023
Placer.ai Office Index: September 2023 Recap