Thanks for Visiting!

Register for free to get the full story.

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

Westfield's Garden State Plaza Renovates to Drive Growth

by 
Ethan Chernofsky
 on 
June 6, 2019
Westfield's Garden State Plaza Renovates to Drive Growth

·    The Westfield Garden State Plaza is getting an upgrade

·    Mobile data shows the center is already a powerful draw for visitors when they have time to spare

·    The new upgrade will focus on enhancing that strength while driving more daily visits and extending dwell time

The Westfield Garden State Plaza – the top shopping center in New Jersey, and one of CNBC’s top ten in the US – is getting a major upgrade.

Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield said it will begin remodeling the inside of the center to add more chef-backed eateries, entertainment for families and health-and-wellness tenants. The project will even include the launch of a new residential space, office building and hotel alongside public parks and open green space – all expected to be completed by 2022.

According to Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield’s US President Jean-Marie Tritant, the renovation will help the shopping center maintain its leadership in a rapidly changing landscape. The goal is clear – increase dwell time.

To break down the move and analyze its potential impact, we compared the Westfield Garden State Plaza to its closest competitor, The Outlets at Bergen Town Center, the top-ranked shopping centers in New Jersey.

Westfield’s Current Strength - Weekends and Holidays

The Westfield Garden State Plaza is the dominant force among the two, driving significant visits throughout the year. From January 2017 through April 2019, the center received 23.6% more visits than the Outlets at Bergen Town Center.

The current strength of the Westfield Garden State Plaza is its ability to draw visitors during high shopping times and vacation periods. The center enjoyed a jump of nearly 79% above their baseline average during the last two weeks of December in 2017 and an average increase of over 70% during the same period in 2018.

This indicates that the center has established itself as a destination worth visiting when individuals have time to spare. By comparison, The Outlets at Bergen Town Center saw a baseline increase of only 4% in 2017 and less than 1% in  2018.

This phenomenon is also reflected in the distance visitors travel to visit the centers. 73.5% of OBTC customers come from within 10 miles, 13% more than WGSP. By creating more reason for people to live and work nearby, they can drive greater traffic to the fitness centers and restaurants that can serve as focal points for a visitors daily routine.

This difference is especially significant as the two centers compete within nearly identical trade areas.

Upgrading Their One Weakness

What makes the current renovation of the Westfield Garden State Plaza so significant is that it aims to strengthen the center’s destination appeal while addressing very a specific weakness – growing midweek and morning traffic.

While the Westfield Garden State Plaza sees very high percentages of its visits on Friday and Saturday (18.1% and 28.9%), it sees its lead over The Outlets at Bergen Town Center drop dramatically during the middle of the week.

The push to include fitness centers, residential areas, and office space is aimed at increasing dwell time, but will also push more regular, mid-week visits.

These activities also tend to drive traffic during non-peak periods for the Westfield Garden State Plaza. The Westfield Garden State Plaza see 39% of its overall visits from 6-11pm, as opposed to The Outlets at Bergen Town Center which sees less than 29% during that time period.

The Outlets at Bergen Town Center also sees a larger percentage of its visits coming earlier in the day with 18.1% between 10am-1pm, a 20% increase over that time period for the Westfield Garden State Plaza.

Conclusion - Driving Down Time Buzz

While the Westfield Garden State Plaza already serves as a strong draw for visitors willing to travel to make the visit. The new renovation offers a powerful opportunity to complement this existing strength with a strong capacity to drive stronger midweek and midday visits. The combination of these strengths could unlock the full potential of a shopping center already considered one of the strongest in the US.

Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield is not a customer and was not consulted for this article.

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.
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
Placer Mall Index Recap: September 2023
September White Paper Recap
The Consumer Habits of College Students
JCPenney: Rightsizing and Revitalizing
Pent-Up Demand Ahead of October Sales Events
4 Strategies Retailers are Using to Drive Traffic to Their Venues
5 Key Regional Grocery Players Impressing in 2023
Upscale Kitchenware Trending Up
Costco Finds More Room for Growth
Four C-Store Chains Making an A-Grade
National Parks + Outdoor Summer Activities
Diving Into Darden: Summer 2023 Update
The Summer Event Effect
Messi: Massive in Miami
Looking Back on Back to School 2023
The Anchor Recap: August 2023
Placer.ai Office Index: August 2023 Recap
Placer.ai Mall Index: August 2023 Recap
Placer.ai White Paper Recap: August 2023
Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte Strikes Again
Big Scoop: We All Scream For Ice Cream
Sports Away: Lululemon & Nike’s Momentum Continues
Summer Visits Heat Up For Recreation and Outdoor Gear Chains
No CSS overwrite - July 2023 Office Index Recap
Staging - August 2023 Mall Indec
Mid-Atlantic Grocery Deep Dive
Experiential Chains Heating Up This Summer
Petco Goes Big by Going Small
Ulta Beauty: Leading the Discretionary Pack
Discount and Dollar Chains Continue to Thrive
Summer of Sports: DICK’s Sporting Goods and Hibbett Sports
Off-Price: Succeeding Into Summer
The Anchor Recap: July 2023
Superstores Maintaining Pandemic Gains Amidst Economic Headwinds
2023: Home Improvement at the Halfway Point
July 2023 Office Index Recap
Placer.ai Mall Index: July 2023 Recap
The Taylor Swift Visit Lift
Southwestern Grocery Dive
July 2023 White Paper Recap: Halfway Point Review & Quarterly Index
Yum! Brands: Driving Dining Visits
Slurpees and Summer Movies Stimulate Consumer Foot Traffic
Cool Beans: Summer Coffee Update
Checking In on Back to School 2023
Crocs and New Balance Tip The Scales
Burger Bliss: Shake Shack and In-N-Out Stacking Visits
Chipotle & McDonald's Continue to Reign Supreme
Vibenomics and Placer.ai Partner to Enhance Retail Media In-Store Measurement
California Grocers Here We Come!
Marriott’s Different Audiences
Bonchon and Kura Sushi Thrive in the Fast-Casual Scene
A Shoe In: Footwear Climbs to the Top
Cheers! Raising a Glass to Beverage Retail
Placer.ai Office Index: June 2023 Recap
Placer.ai Mall Index June 2023 Recap – A Turn of the Tide and a Dive into Open-Air Lifestyle Centers
Local Kitchens: Redefining the Restaurant
Unlocking Urban Insights: The Value in Manhattan’s Employees
Ohio State Parks On The Rise
How is Inflation Impacting the High-Income Shoppers?
Five Fast-Growing Dining Chains
What To Expect From Prime Day and July Sales Events in 2023
The State Of Fashion: How Are Apparel Retailers Faring in 2023?
2023’s Latest Dining Success Story: GEN Korean BBQ House
The NBA Finals: A Location Intelligence Perspective