The Los Angeles Times ran a story in January 2011 that illustrated how one mall transformed its image and reputation from dangerous and dilapidated to high-end and fabulous.
The story focuses on Westfield Culver City, a mall located in urban Los Angeles that underwent an extreme makeover in 2009 to make it more shopper-friendly, and therefore appealing to retailers of all kinds. The biggest problem it faced, according to a Westfield official, was an unfortunate reputation as a dangerous place to be, leaving the mall all but forgotten to shoppers and prospective retailers before the overhaul.
That all changed with the $180-million makeover. Westfield used that money to expand its floor space by one-third, to nearly one million square feet. Bridges and pedestrian walkways were added to make it easier for shoppers to reach all three of its floors. The food court was transformed into a dining terrace to add a degree of ambiance to shoppers’ culinary options.
Westfield also added valet parking, an eco-friendly car wash, family-centric holiday events and a farmer’s market every Saturday in the mall’s parking lot. About $1.2 million of that money was spent on procuring art for the mall to up its aesthetic value.
Once all this was in place, Westfield set out to procure a mix of high-end and trendy retailers. Among the first to sign were Coach, Hollister and XXI Forever, according to the LA Times.
The mall also found diversity within its anchors. Instead of the usual five or six department stores, Westfield was now anchored by two department stores, Macy’s and JCPenney. Other anchors included the popular discount chain Target, which has its own grocery department, as well as the electronics giant Best Buy. Today, the center thrives; its checkered past is rarely even remembered.
Even if your client doesn’t have $180 million to spend on an extreme overhaul, Westfield Culver City still illustrates the various strategies that can be used to make a retail center more appealing.
Focusing on walkways, added amenities, aesthetic values and events that bring about a sense of community are just a few ways shopping center owners and managers can try to turn their properties around.