Getting Around this NJ Mall Isn’t what it used to be… and the Kids Love It
Your humble newsletter editor grew up in the NY metro area, a stone’s throw from a large collection of New Jersey malls (Paramus Park, Garden State Plaza, Shops at Riverside, Willowbrook Mall, The Mall at Short Hills) and in the shadow of what was once envisioned as Xanadu, destined to become American Dream Meadowlands. Back in its heyday, Paramus Park had the coolest “playground” – a network of stairs and “caverns” that surrounded a fountain and escalators leading to and from the second floor food court. Much of that has been eliminated and upgraded to a more upscale atmosphere, but now it looks as if the folks at Paramus Park are once again looking to lure the kiddies back to the mall by helping them enjoy shopping with their parents. According to a recent article in The Record, parents and kids can ride “free-roaming motorized stuffed animals with plenty of choices – dogs, tigers, lions, giraffes, even an elephant, rhinoceros, hippo or panda,” making getting around a more pleasant experience for everyone. Thinking this YouTube video can’t possibly satisfy journalism’s nuances, your humble newsletter editor may have to make a road trip and investigate further.
Jobs on the Rise in D.C. Thanks to Retail Sector
There are two things our nation’s capital is known for: getting things done and creating jobs. OK, some of you may be laughing right about now (I apologize if you did a Danny Thomas-esque spit-take on your monitor with your coffee), and others may be nodding in agreement, but the numbers, at least, don’t lie. According to the Washington Business Journal, jobs are booming in the area and retail is to thank for that. Staff reporter Rebecca Cooper noted that “In D.C. alone, retail jobs increased by 5.7 percent in the three months preceding May. The jobs in CityCenterDC alone have likely contributed, given that nearly a dozen stores have opened there in the past year.”
Non-scientific Sampling: Construction Projects Abound Nationwide
There are many ways the staff of this newsletter finds the various articles from the main corridors and deep recesses of the interwebs. Admittedly, this is a very unscientific way of jumping to conclusions, it seems lately there has been an overabundance of construction happening (or projects in the planning stages) across the land. From Montana to Texas (Houston and Dallas) to Chicago, Pennsylvania and California, just to name a few. Some believe improving weather conditions are contributing to the rising number of projects, while others cite “remodels of existing malls and construction of new wings of exiting malls” and “pent-up consumer demand following the Great Recession” for the uptick. Are you seeing the same thing in your area? Tweet us!
White Paper: Analysis of Shopping Center Landscape Now Available in Free Download
We are proud to announce the availability of an informative new white paper on market saturation analysis that we prepared with Pitney Bowes. The paper is being released tomorrow, but you can request your copy right now! The new white paper, The Evolution of the Shopping Center Landscape, examines broad market patterns associated with the current shopping center landscape, with a specific focus of where new shopping center supply is concentrated. Using data from DMM, the paper examines market saturation, the structural age of major shopping centers, the quality of shopping center market demographics and more, and provides new and helpful insight on market trends and opportunities.
Spotlight Listing:
Artegon Marketplace – Orlando, FL
