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Mall vs. Main Street

"Location, Location, Location" is the punchline of an old joke about real estate, in answer to the question, "What are the three most important things to consider in buying real estate?" Location is also important when it comes to where you lease or own space for your retail store(s).

After World War II, the retail landscape changed. The growth of suburbs and the creation of the Interstate Highway System, as well as demographic shifts, revolutionized people's patterns of living, working and shopping. Before World War II most communities had a well defined "center" that consisted of a business district that was the hub for commerce, community and worship. After the war, cities sprawled with tract homes on what had been farmland, engulfing smaller communities and turning them into "suburbs".

With the ubiquity of the automobile, better roads were needed so people could get from point A to point B, which were often further apart than before. The burgeoning network of highways moved the focus away from many town centers to highway intersections and downtowns all across the country died. Retailers in small towns were adversely affected. In many metropolitan areas, inner cities became ghost towns after 5 p.m.

Hastening the death of downtowns was the enclosed shopping mall, which became a sort of community center itself, although it was often far from the traditional center of most communities. The shopping mall had its detractors, who saw it as a soulless, artificial creation, afflicted with boring sameness and with none of the heritage and character of Main Street. Now consumer preferences seem to be changing again. Many have declared the death of the mall and it is true that there are abandoned malls across the country, casualties of overbuilding during the boom years.

One organization that is attempting to resurrect Main Street is the "National Main Street Center", a subsidiary of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. NMSC has assembled a national network of over 2,000 historic downtowns and neighborhood commercial districts that it calls "Main Street America™". The people involved in this project are working to "turn the tide in their communities—catalyzing reinvestment, creating jobs, and fostering pride of place" (source).

But the South's largest shopping mall owner and developer still believes in the viability of that venue, in spite of the naysayers. "We have great locations and properties and, contrary to what some suggest, people want the experiences that our properties can offer," says Charles B. Lebovitz, president of CBL & Associate Properties, Inc. "As long as we keep making changes and evolving with the market, these will remain the prime properties in most communities and we'll still be here." (source).

So, perhaps there is a future for both Malls and Main Street. As some focus on gentrification of traditional town centers and others focus on adapting malls to changing consumer needs, both may be able to flourish. Which is best for your store depends on who your customers are and what paths they travel.

NEW WHOLESALE WEBSITES

Sincere Surroundings just opened its new CAMEO EZ© wholesale website. The company offers home décor and gifts that can be personalized with different colors, sizes, names, dates, locations, anniversaries and more. If your customers are constantly on the look-out for that one piece they just have to have, it can be found at Sincere Surroundings.

Don Mark, a long time OmegaNet client, has recently refreshed its wholesale website with a new mobile-friendly design. Don Mark Gifts is a 131-year-old company based in Atlanta, Georgia, offering Mens Gifts like knives, tools and gadgets, but also Gifts for the whole family, like travel and personal accessories and pet gifts.

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