If you asked five people to describe a mall, you would likely get a variety of answers. Some may describe it as a mall with a grocery store, while others may think of a covered shopping destination with several large major stores. A small strip of 5 or 6 stores would also be an acceptable example of a retail mall. The Macmillan English Dictionary defines a retail mall as a group of retail establishments and other commercial establishments that are planned, developed, owned and managed as a single property with on-site parking.
When it comes to shopping centers, there are many different types available. Outlet centers are popular shopping destinations in the United States due to discounts on well-known brands. These malls are usually built in an L shape with exclusive parking spaces for buyers at the front. Energy centers are malls that have at least 75 to 90% of the available retail space dedicated to main stores.
In Australia, strip stores or strip stores are lines of independent stores and buildings along the main streets of a city or suburban area, which are not separated from the pavement (sidewalk) and do not have exclusive parking spaces for cars. Based on these two traditional configurations, there are 8 different types of retail malls. Often remodeled in urban environments inside old buildings, these malls are characterized by a unifying theme. According to the International Council of Shopping Centers, more than 50% of neighborhood centers have a grocery store.
Additionally, these malls have a central area where you can sit at tables and eat your food. Neighborhood shopping malls (30,000 to 125,000 square feet (2,800 to 11,600 m)) also fit the definition of a mall. A mall, strip mall, or strip mall is a common type of mall in North America where stores are arranged in a row, with a sidewalk in front. The 8 types of shopping centers include outlet centers, energy centers, strip stores, neighborhood centers, lifestyle centers, power centers, theme/festival centers and hybrid centers. Outlet centers offer discounts on well-known brands and usually have exclusive parking spaces for buyers at the front.
Energy centers have at least 75 to 90% of their available retail space dedicated to main stores. Strip stores are lines of independent stores and buildings along the main streets of a city or suburban area that don't have exclusive parking spaces for cars. Neighborhood centers typically have more than 50% of their space dedicated to grocery stores and have central areas where people can sit and eat their food. Lifestyle centers offer an upscale shopping experience with high-end retailers and restaurants. Power centers are large shopping areas with big box retailers like Walmart or Target as their anchor tenants.
Theme/festival centers feature an overall theme that ties together all the stores in the mall. Hybrid centers combine two or more types of shopping center formats into one location. No matter what type of shopping center you're looking for, there's sure to be one that fits your needs! From outlet centers offering discounts on well-known brands to lifestyle centers offering an upscale shopping experience with high-end retailers and restaurants, there's something for everyone.
