Why Shopping Malls Are Betting on Entertainment to Bring Back Weekend Crowds: Shopping malls across the US are adding entertainment venues to bring weekend visitors back through the doors.
With department stores closing and online orders covering more everyday errands, owners are filling large vacant spaces with attractions that people plan an outing around, such as indoor play parks, bowling lanes and arcades. The aim is a reason to visit that doesn’t depend on a shopping list.
Operators are willing to move in, since prime mall space is mostly leased and they can take over former department stores that offer the floor area an indoor park needs. Whether that approach works depends on the type of venue, the local market and how well it fits with the shops and restaurants around it.
Which Attractions Are Filling Anchor Space
Trampoline parks, challenge rooms, arcades, bowling lanes and family entertainment centers (FECs) lead the list, partly because they suit families with a mix of ages and run well on weekends and school breaks.
Birthday parties, group outings and open play passes give each venue several ways to earn income beyond a single ticket. Operators also check parking, ceiling height, restroom capacity and loading access, since a former department store has to be adapted for party guests.
Operators who want guidance from the start can fill unused space through an FEC franchise model, which brings startup planning, park design, hiring guidance and an operations playbook together in one system.
Mall owners can ask prospective tenants how site selection, park design and hiring will be handled before a lease is signed, and request examples of comparable locations that are already open. Reviewing those details early helps the mall and the operator agree on opening dates, signage and shared hours.
What Weekend Traffic Looks Like After Opening
The early numbers are encouraging, since visits to indoor and outdoor malls have risen in most months of this year and recent visits are running longer, which gives nearby restaurants and stores more time to catch shoppers’ attention.
Families who arrive for a birthday party or an open play session can combine it with a meal or a quick shopping stop, and that shared traffic is what owners hope will carry over to neighboring tenants. Food courts and sit-down restaurants are the most natural beneficiaries, since a family that spends an afternoon at a play venue usually needs a meal.
Smaller centers can start with a compact concept such as an arcade or a single large attraction before committing more floor space, while larger malls decide how much space to hand over and which hours the tenant will anchor.
Weekend demand is the main draw for most venues, and those that also schedule weekday mornings for toddlers, school groups and clubs keep the space busy when shoppers are scarce. Before opening day, walk the route a family takes from the parking lot to the new entrance, note which tenants they pass along the way and check that signage points visitors toward food and retail as well as the attraction itself.
