Shopping centers continue to defy the “dead mall” narrative, reinventing themselves and often thriving, Placer.ai says in a new white paper. As a case in point, both indoor malls and open-air shopping centers have posted consistent year-over-year traffic growth for the past two years, although outlet malls have experienced slight declines. All three formats recorded mid-single-digit Y-O-Y traffic gains in the first two months of this year.
Titled How Malls Can Win in 2026, the white paper delves into location analytics to explore the factors shaping success for shopping centers. Along with Y-O-Y traffic growth, the white paper offers the following key takeaways:
- Performance is increasingly defined by the convenience–experience divide. Growth in short visits and extended stays – alongside declines in mid-length trips – shows that consumers are gravitating toward trips with a clear purpose, favoring either efficiency or immersion.
- Indoor malls are strengthening their role as experiential “third places.” Rising dwell times and strong engagement from younger, contemporary households position indoor malls as leading destinations for longer, experience-driven trips.
- Open-air centers are winning the weekly routine. A higher share of short, weekday visits – along with strong appeal among affluent families – underscores their role as convenient, essential retail hubs.
- Outlet malls are at a crossroads. As off-price and online alternatives erode their treasure-hunt advantage and long-distance visitation softens, outlets face a strategic choice between deepening local relevance and reinvesting in destination appeal.
- Strategic clarity will determine the winners. The malls that thrive will be those that intentionally optimize for convenience, experience, or a disciplined integration of both.
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