The Regional Mall Recasts Itself

With discounters positioned as anchors and the influx of food, entertainment and service providers as tenants, U.S. regional malls apparently reinvented themselves to sufficiently weather the recession.
Already feeling pressure from diminishing traffic, population shifts and anchor consolidation, regional malls were said to be in a precarious state entering the downturn. But an article in Stores Magazine indicates optimism on the fate of the channel is improving. Susan Reda, executive editor, wrote, "They are once again attracting shoppers, now with a mix of tenants that includes everything from a tattoo shop to an MBA program, overhauled anchor spaces recast as gourmet food emporiums, over-sized specialty shops and fresh takes on services and entertainment that range from health clubs to high-end movie theaters."

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