The American mall, once considered a relic of the past, is experiencing a resurgence in popularity thanks to Gen Z and millennials who are embracing them as social hubs and destinations for unique experiences.
Last year, David Martin was showing a prospective tenant around Brickell City Centre , an open-air mall he helps manage in downtown Miami. The man was an executive from FP Movement, part of the bohemian clothing brand Free People, and Martin was hoping he would decide to lease a shop in the mall.
Teens and young professionals have been drawn to Brickell's palm-tree-lined backdrops and distinctive glass and steel trellis, which are featured regularly on TikTok, along with the elaborate CrazyShake milkshakes from Black Tap Craft Burgers & Beer. Suddenly, as Martin was showing the FP guy around, a man in his early 20s strolled by. 'Oh, look, I know that guy!' the executive told Martin. 'That was one of our influencers!' The serendipitous encounter signaled the mall's popularity with Gen Z, which was exactly what Martin needed to seal the deal. 'OK, my job is done,' he thought. 'I'll just send you the lease!' FP Movement ended up opening a store in Brickell a few months later. But the moment was also evidence of something bigger: The American mall, against all odds, is cool again. Twenty years after they were written off as a casualty of the online shopping boom, malls from the resorts of Arizona to the suburbs of New Jersey are bustling and vibrant. Vacancy rates are the lowest in two decades, and both visits and sales have been climbing steadily for the past three years. And while older shoppers are more likely to have written off the mall, Gen Zers and millennials are embracing them as the hip new hangout. In a 2023 survey by the International Council of Shopping Centers, 60% of Gen Zers said they visited malls just to socialize. Luxury malls like Brickell are doing especially well with Gen Z. With their modern aesthetic, over-the-top dining options, and limited-edition events, they've become more than a chic place to socialize — they're an extension of the digital lives of young shoppers. 'Going to a mall used to be an errand, and now it's a content opportunity,' says Casey Lewis, the author of 'After School,' a newsletter on consumer trends. 'The constant need to document one's life on social media has put a larger importance on the aesthetic appeal of places like malls.' But for today's young shoppers, the mall offers more than an Instagram opportunity — it's a place to practice some of the things that got lost during the social isolation of the pandemic. 'Social media helps us refine our taste, but the mall lets us experiment with who we are IRL,' says Claire Lee, a cofounder of Selleb, an online platform that tracks Zoomer spending habits. 'Beyond providing a backdrop for content, it's where we can almost test-drive the personas we post about online.' If the malls of old embraced sameness — you could always count on a Victoria's Secret and a Cinnabon — today's retail meccas want to stand out from the crowd. To succeed today, the mall has to be a destination for young shoppers, something they'll go out of their way to experience. That's especially true when it comes to dining. At a handful of malls on the West Coast, the star tenant is Din Tai Fung, a Taiwanese chain that's garnered a cult following for its soup dumplings. 'Besides being delicious, it's a very fun experience,' says Arden Yum, a college student who planned a recent visit to Orange County around a trip to the Din Tai Fung outpost at the South Coast Plaza mall. 'You write down your order on the paper menu, mix your own sauce, and ask for secret menu items, like the sea salt foam with the chocolate xiao long bao that are filled with molten chocolate.' Seeing the meal for the content gold it was, Yum and her friends snapped pictures of each dish before digging in. And since they were already at the mall, they did some shopping, too. While waiting for their table, Yum picked up a pair of sunglasses at Gentle Monster, a Korean optical brand. Celebrity partnerships have also helped position malls as destinations. In 2022, when the YouTube star MrBeast announced he would be opening the first MrBeast Burger at the American Dream megamall in New Jersey, more than 10,000 fans lined up to try his smashburgers and meet their idol. Some had slept in the mall overnight. Over two years later, the burger joint is still going strong. 'Every day at 10 a.m. there's a line to start eating burgers at this place,' says Paul Ghermezian, American Dream's chief operating officer. 'This is a place people come into the building and ask for.' All that attention was something of a lifeline for American Dream, which had been derailed by the pandemic only a year after opening. Located 7 miles from Midtown Manhattan, the shopping and entertainment complex includes North America's only indoor ski slope, a skating rink, a water park, and amusement park rides — not to mention some 450 retail stores. Over the past three years, aggressive targeting of young shoppers has helped it find its footing financially
Retail Malls Gen Z Millennials Retail Social Media Dining Entertainment American Dream Brickell City Centre Din Tai Fung Mrbeast Burger
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
American Dream megamall flouts 17th century NJ blue laws — and officials aren’t happy: 'Deeply concerning'American Dream Mall promotional video
Read more »
American Primeval: A Gritty and Unflinching Look at the American WestThis Netflix limited series, set in the midst of the American westward expansion, follows the lives of men and women battling for survival and prosperity against rivals and the unforgiving environment. It explores the harsh realities of frontier life, the clash of cultures, and the complex social dynamics that emerge as individuals fight for their place in the new world.
Read more »
‘American Primeval’ Review: Netflix’s Violent, Bloody Saga Of The American Frontier Is A Harrowing WatchNetflix’s new Western series is a bleak and bloody affair.
Read more »
Peter Berg's 'American Primeval': A Brutally Honest Look at the Birth of the American WestDirector Peter Berg delves into the violent and gritty expansion of the American West in his new Netflix series, 'American Primeval'. He discusses the importance of authenticity, the challenges of filming on location, and the inherent violence of humanity with Collider.
Read more »
American Primeval: A Gritty Look at the American WestNetflix's American Primeval offers a brutal and captivating glimpse into the violent frontier of 1850s Utah. Combining historical figures with fictional characters, the series explores the struggle for power and survival amidst the expansion of the American West.
Read more »
American Primeval: A Gritty Reimagining of the American WestAmerican Primeval, a new Netflix series, presents a raw and realistic depiction of the American West during the Utah War. While fictional characters drive the narrative, the series is deeply rooted in historical events, including the Mountain Meadows Massacre.
Read more »