Across the U.S., malls are trying to make a comeback in a post-pandemic world, pulling consumers back to spaces once considered to be on the decline amid the rise of e-commerce.
Yet, representatives for Springfield Town Center argue that the actual risk to malls comes not from e-commerce, but from a failure to evolve with shifting consumer preferences.
In the era of remote work, digital fatigue and heightened mental health challenges, they say shoppers are increasingly looking for venues that offer enriching experiences and promote community engagement, rather than simply acting as transactional spaces.
“I think people are really prioritizing those experiential things,” Springfield Town Center Marketing Director Justin Roth told FFXnow. “I think it’s really working out well for us, since we recognize the need for entertainment, living, dining, fitness. I think those people are coming out because it’s an experience they’re willing to still spend money on, and making an effort to do it.”
A post-pandemic revival
While some studies suggest many large shopping malls are still at risk of closing, Springfield Town Center leaders believe that, for now, things are moving in the right direction.
“We’re at about the pre-pandemic level in terms of the number of people coming to the property, and we’re seeing the actual dwell time higher, and their spend per visit higher,” said Joseph Aristone, executive vice president and head of leasing for town center owner PREIT, which owns numerous malls along the East Coast.
According to Aristone, Springfield Town Center currently has about a 4% vacancy rate — slightly below the national average — and last year, it attracted approximately 10 million visitors, matching pre-pandemic levels. On average, visitors now spend about 83 minutes at the mall — four minutes less than in 2019 — but they are spending more per trip than before the pandemic, mall executives say.
“Sales per square foot are up from 555 pre-pandemic to 603 post-pandemic,” a spokesperson for PREIT told FFXnow. “With traffic even, the indication is that people are spending more when they’re here.”
These statistics align with reports from other large American malls, which have seen a surge in younger visitors, especially Gen Z. Although there may be other factors at play, Aristone and PREIT executives believe younger demographics are returning to malls because they offer ways for people to spend time in communal environments.
“So now, dwell time is an important factor for the mall universe,” Aristone said. “So, we want people to stay as long as possible so they can have experiences and spend more money, and that improves the overall health of the asset.”
PREIT executives point to the indoor Lego Discovery Center as a hallmark of their new strategy to prioritize experiences at Springfield Town Center. Launched last August, the attraction offers children and families hands-on activities and the chance to build unique Lego models.
Springfield Town Center’s other entertainment options include Regal Cinemas, an underground airsoft shooting range, and an adult arcade. Combined with the mall’s food options, these attractions have encouraged visitors to stay longer and spend more, says Eric Christensen, the mall’s general manager.
“People need to be social, and so, you’ve got to provide them…that opportunity to do that,” he said. “No one wants to stay home 24/7…They’re going to want to go out. You’ve got to create a destination that can fulfill and excite them.”
Though PREIT officials didn’t divulge much about any upcoming tenants, they confirmed that Build-a-Bear will open a Springfield Town Center store on the lower level near the JCPenney corridor, next to Go! Games and Toys and Kokee Bakery.
To show that rebranding the Springfield mall as a “town center” a decade ago was not just a marketing ploy, PREIT has also focused on organizing quarterly events for the community, like the annual “Taste of Springfield” and cherry blossom festivals.
Bridging online and in-store shopping
Aristone noted another unique draw of the mall that benefits both retailers and consumers: the convenience of returning online purchases in-store.
Over the past decade, the dynamic between online and in-store shopping has shifted, with major apparel brands realizing that brick-and-mortar stores can complement their online presence and help move more product, he says.
Brands like American Eagle or Abercrombie & Fitch expect that customers who buy clothes online will often need to return or exchange items due to sizing issues, according to Aristone. By encouraging in-store returns, American Eagle, for example, saves on shipping costs and brings customers into the store, where they can potentially make additional purchases through in-store promotions.
Aristone cited recently published data showing that nearly 42% of e-commerce orders last year involved physical stores, up from about 27% in 2015.
“Every store you see has now become part of the distribution,” he said. “But the point is that the idea of being able to sit at your home and just order online, which was the old way people thought about it when internet sales first came out, has now evolved into an on-mall, at-store, physical bricks-and-mortar experience to complement what they’re doing online. Good for us. Good for them.”
Although it declined to comment on its individual stores, Abercrombie & Fitch told FFXnow by email that generally, its in-person stores have become an “integral part of the seamless” shopping experience. The company reported double-digit growth in both stores and digital sales in the first quarter.
“Whether customers are stopping in a store to try on product, or to make an online exchange, it’s important to provide an open, inviting brand experience,” a spokesperson for the apparel company said. “In 2024, and for the third year in a row, A&F Co. plans to be a net store opener.”
A blueprint for the future
Encouraged by the current trends, PREIT is embarking on an ambitious redevelopment of Springfield Town Center that includes transforming a substantial portion of the parking lot into a mixed-use community hub.
Construction is in progress on a 439-unit residential apartment building — reduced from the initially planned 460 units — alongside a renovated parking garage and a five-story hotel. PREIT anticipates that the development will be completed and ready for occupancy by early 2026.
Aristone says this is just the beginning.
Since acquiring the mall in 2015, PREIT has been laying the groundwork to develop the remaining 2 million square feet of commercial space and several thousand residential units, approved by Fairfax County in 2008.
“We think there’s an opportunity to do a lot more densification of this property, which is exactly what was set up for right when we bought this property,” Aristone said.
In person, PREIT showed initial concept renderings to FFXnow for a second phase of redevelopment featuring additional residential units on the western edge of the property along Loisdale Road, adjacent to the current construction. PREIT declined to share further details, noting that the proposal is still in the conceptual stage.
Aristone says his firm is also considering building offices or co-working spaces to complement residential areas, but nothing has been finalized yet.
“The live, work, shop, play, dine [mix] is the next phase of what we’re looking to do,” PREIT Vice President of Leasing Sean Linehan said.
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