![]() “The retail landscape is definitely changing,” she adds. This year, Soft Surroundings and H&M both opened in the mall, and Eigen reports it has been struggling to find space for new retailers. ![]() This experiential approach has bolstered Danbury’s traditional retail component, as well. Everywhere in our center is equipped with strong Wi-Fi, and we have charging stations in every seating area.” “We added couches so you can relax and take a break in the food court. “You think of a static space with tables and chairs,” Eigen says. A large family restroom was installed next to a revamped play area, and the food court was completely redone. Along with a fresh coat of paint, the mall added seating areas as well as gaming spaces with foosball and shuffleboard. In the past two years, Danbury Fair underwent an interior upgrade to help its primary demographic of moms, children and families to stay at the mall longer. People want to spend time with their families.” Our market wants to come out, experience and shop. “We’ve opened more restaurants and entertainment venues, but this year alone, we opened two big clothing retailers. “Retail is evolving,” says Danbury Fair senior marketing manager Melissa Eigen. One of New England’s largest shopping centers, Danbury Fair Mall, recognized this shift and adapted accordingly. Today, malls need to be destinations in and of themselves - centers for entertainment, service and shopping. What’s important is that retailers, and malls in particular, adapt to the new way that customers shop. Walmart and Target also invested in their brick-and-mortar stores, and they’ve recently seen their best quarter yet, he says. “Nordstrom is giving a lot more space for people to look around in their stores, and they’re merchandising expensive pieces with lower-priced items so it’s not so compartmentalized,” he says, adding, “They understand their shopper - buy online, pick up in store.”Īnd it’s not just top-tier retailers that have seen big payouts, Phibbs explains. While many department stores are shuttering locations, Nordstrom is growing nationwide, and Phibbs attributes this to the investments the retailer has made in its stores. Nordstrom is an important anchor for SoNo Collection, with the only other location in the state nearly 70 miles to the north at the Westfarms Mall in West Hartford. ![]() We know their customer lives here, and they want to shop it. “There was a market hole, and Nordstrom and Bloomingdale’s agreed,” Seebeck says. “They keep updating to make things look bright and new, and they’re providing ways for people to sit and gather.”īrookfield Properties chose South Norwalk thanks to its proximity to I-95 and Route 7 in the densely wealthy Fairfield County. “The biggest thing about top-tier malls is that they understand that retail exists to answer the customer’s question, ‘What’s new?’ ” he notes. ![]() In fact, Bob Phibbs, CEO of New York-based consulting firm The Retail Doctor, says consumers with household incomes over $100,000 are actually the least likely to go to brick-and-mortar stores today. It’s not just because luxury consumers have more money to spend. Diversification beyond retail has positioned Urban Class A malls (those with the highest sales per square foot) to succeed in this new retail climate beyond their more-affordable counterparts. SoNo, expected to have between 80 and 100 stores including Nordstrom and Bloomingdale’s, isn’t alone in this approach. ![]() (In early November, Brookfield announced that it sold its majority stake in the new mall for $419 million to an unidentified investment group). Seebeck says creating mixed-use destinations has been a focus for Brookfield Properties, which opened SoNo Collection in mid-October. ![]()
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