What: an overview of what successful US malls actions in the pandemic

Why it is important: retail, and by extension physical retail, has been hit hard by the covid crisis. It is important to notice when a few players manage to play their cards right and still be relevant in critical times.

BoF identified still-bustling malls that are outperforming their peers in terms of traffic recovery: Highland Park Village in Dallas, Bal Harbour Shops in Miami, Fashion Island in Newport Beach, Calif. and Oakbrook Center in the Chicago area. The article looks at four particular actions that make the malls’ revival in time of crisis:

• The mall as its own fashion brand: people don’t just come to shop, people come to be somewhere safe, in a open-air area where they can meet up and spend time with friends
• Pursue brands: keep offering relevant and exclusive brands and retailers to drive more customers in
• Reimagining the food court: give more space to restaurants so that they can manage ‘social distancing’, bet on international chefs, and it will eventually bring people in for experience
• Keep tenants happy: by organising privileged moments with them, and by financing initiatives that eventually profit both the mall and the retailers

What makes a mall work in 2020