Malls See Change in Consumer Behavior

In the last ten years, many malls have donned the trappings of community centers. Mall owners have gone to great lengths to lure consumers in and keep them in, installing free or low-cost amenities like jogging routes, restaurants, movie theaters and merry-go-rounds.

In the recession, however, these attractions are now becoming more popular than the retail stores. Sales in many mall stores in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut have declined.

That said, food courts, play areas and other thoroughfares are still welcoming visitors. Parents need to entertain their children, teenagers need a hang out, and adults meet in shopping malls to socialize indoors. Mall owners in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, like their counterparts across the country, have installed wave-riding machines and offer laser tag, paintball and ice skating. They have also organized concerts and karaoke contests, temporary-tattoo parties and social clubs for children, and they have begun turning vast — and empty — stores into community theaters and health clinics.

It could be a sign of things to come. People browse and socialize more than they have in the past, and mall events are getting more attention than they ever did in the past.