Malls can thrive in post-pandemic retail landscape if they provide people with what they want, such as leisure activities and a hub for communities.
Monday, Jun 26, 2023
The mall isn’t exactly dying. A number of new retail projects show that malls can thrive in this post-pandemic retail landscape as long as they give people what they want. These new retail projects center the popular concept of wellbeing, imagining malls as not only a place to shop but as a place for leisure activities and a hub for communities.
A recent article in VMSD points to retail centers in Milan and Singapore—the Porta Nuova district and Changi Airport respectively—as incorporating wellness concepts to balance “stimulating and restorative features.” With a new focus on physical, mental, and communal health ushered in by the pandemic, design firms are beginning to consider the social function of the mall alongside its economic function. These designers are looking to reinvent the mall as the heart of a community, which could provide consumers with the engaging shopping experiences they desire.
