Working Paper #708
The Mall of the Future
Peter Lowy
Commercial Brokerage Retail United States
To grow, or at the very least sustain its position, the author argues that the U.S. shopping mall industry must push the limits. The predominance of the traditional fashion orientation has limited U.S. malls’ utility, performance and appeal for 21st century consumers given multiple demands on limited time, advances in technology and changing spending patterns. Malls of the future will be distinguished by their diversity. The objective is to redefine of the very nature of the mall by introducing new elements and energy, along with new reasons for shoppers to drop in, stay longer and visit more often.