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Has ‘mall’ become a dirty word? INSIDE by Michelle Z. Askeland As retail properties work to stay competitive and reinvent themselves to reflect changing consumer habits, has “mall” become a dirty word? Regional malls are “general mer- chandise or fashion-oriented offer- ings; typically, enclosed with inward- facing stores connected by a common walkway; parking surrounds the outside perimeter,” according to the International Council of Shopping Centers’ shopping center classifica- tions fact sheet. Super regional malls are similar in concept, but offer more variety and assortment.The two terms represent shopping centers that typically are 400,000 square feet or larger, with two-plus anchors and 40 or more stores.The trade area size typically is anywhere from 5 to 25 miles. Using these guidelines, 14 enclosed shopping centers qualify as malls in Colorado – six of which use the word mall in their formal name and eight of which do not: Chapel Hills Mall, Glenwood Springs Mall, Durango Mall, Greeley Mall, Mesa Mall, Pueblo Mall, Cherry Creek Shopping Center, Colorado Mills, FlatIron Crossing, Park Meadows, Southwest Plaza,The Citadel, Foothills andTown Center at Aurora. With more than half of these prop- erties not using the word mall in their names, does the word have a stigma? The short answer: No, according to those interviewed for this article. For many, the word mall is familiar and appropriate. “The word mall tells our shoppers we are the hub for retail shopping in our area,” said Stephany Garza, marketing manager with Pueblo Mall. “Pueblo Mall is the only enclosed shopping center in Pueblo; we have 575,000 square feet of retail space with a dynamic mix of 80 specialty retailers.” Pueblo Mall has had its name since the property was built in 1976 as a shopping destination for the city’s residents and surround- ing areas and there has never been any discussion to change it, she said. Many centers that have changed Private capital, limited inventory and pent-up investor demand fuels the active market Investment market PAGE 4 Restaurants are embracing social media and technology while building out their spaces Construction activity PAGE 24 Personalized service, customized products and curated goods give customers reasons to shop What’s new in retail PAGE 16 Please see Page 26 August 2018 While redevelopments, rebranding and closures have ushered in a shift away from the term “mall,” enclosed shopping centers that create experiences and a sense of community are thriv- ing – regardless of if they use the word “mall” in their formal names.