Shop around: Amid changes in retail habits, malls remain social and business centers throughout WV
Posted: Feb 20, 2015 11:41 AM EST < By Jim Workman
Connect
Not many ideas or trends born in the 1980s are still thriving.
Think about it: parachute pants, acid-washed jeans, fanny packs and the Walkman — not to mention hairstyles.
But one concept is alive and well today: the shopping mall.
And they're doing better than ever, thanks in large part for an ability to evolve with the times.
Malls have survived many trends, including what has been their biggest blow: online shopping.
“There's a big difference between shopping online and shopping at a mall, when it comes to clothing in particular,” said Tom Bird, general manager of the Charleston Town Center. “The clothes are made in so many factories, the sizes are so different. The fabric may not be as you thought it would be. The colors may not be what you expected when you saw it on a computer screen.
“In the mall, you can try it on and walk out with it. There's that synergy — I want to see it and touch it.”
Resilient retailers
Retailers have found locating in West Virginia malls is not as volatile a situation as it may be in other areas of the country. The Mountain State seems to have staved off the trend of downsizing, for the most part.
Multiple national news stories have reported several department stores are planning to close some of their stores in 2015. Reportedly, Sears is planning to close as many as 235 stores in 2015; JCPenney could close 40; and Macy's could close 14 stores sometime this year.
All three have properties in West Virginia but the Mountain State actually may be safer than other areas across the country, Bird reasoned.
“In general, department stores are more likely to close stores in areas where they have multiple stores, so they don't lose the market,” he said. “Lexington (Kentucky) may have five stores and may have its least performing store close. So in West Virginia, it's often less likely that they close.”
Filling retail space at malls is typically the job of leasing agents, who often are in charge of multiple malls.
They match retailers — potential tenants — with available spaces.
“West Virginia is a little bit different market, with its population and geography,” Bird added. “In a city like Detroit, there are probably 10 malls. But here, we have about six in the entire state.”
Good neighbors
Malls have always served as social hubs for many West Virginia communities.
A soft play area opened June 28, 2014 at Meadowbrook Mall, christened the Connect-Bridgeport.com Kids Zone, located near Sears Court.
Meadowbrook Mall, in Bridgeport, has been host to an anti-bullying event, and UniCare Health Plan of WV Inc. sponsors a nursing mothers station at the mall, which also hosts a “Tuesday is for Toddlers” program. Relaxation stations and food court televisions are sponsored by WBOY-TV.
Engaging the community with such events, as well as bridal shows, is important to the success of the mall, said Joe Bell, and director of corporate communications for Cafaro Co. and mall spokesman for Meadowbrook Mall.
“Malls are evolved from the times when they were built 30 or 40 years ago,” he said. They were built as a place to shop, and that was it.
“Now it's a place for people to gather — not just to shop for a new pair of shoes or jeans, but it's a place for them to be entertained, grab a bite to eat, socialize and take care of personal business like banking, or go to a dentist or optometrist.”
Bell said a mall can sustain an entire day of activities.
“A lot of people will go shopping, go to the movies and have dinner here — they make a whole day of it,” he said. “That's the way people have designed their lives and it's really up to mall designers to keep pace with what people are looking for. We're always looking at what our customers are asking for.”
Meadowbrook Mall retailers provide jobs for an estimated 1,000 employees throughout the year, with the number swelling to more than 1,500 in the holiday season, according to Bell.
Many charities benefit from promotions and activities with malls as well.
Charleston Town Center supports several community and charitable groups, including Salvation Army, Union Mission, American Diabetes Association, March of Dimes, Kanawha County Hospice Care, Lions Club Sight Charities and the Charleston AIDS Network. Charleston Town Center also hosts appearances by sports stars, such as the Cincinnati Reds winter caravan, as well as TV and movie stars, and favorite children's characters.
These events draw hundreds of fans to the mall's center court throughout the year, eager to get a rare, up close glimpse of their heroes.
Ownership options
Charleston Town Center is co-owned by three corporations: 50 percent by Cafaro Co., 25 percent by Forest City Enterprises and 25 percent by Australian investment firm QIC Limited, which is an acronym for Queensland Investment Corp.
Cafaro headquarters are in Youngstown, Ohio while Forest City is based in Cleveland, Ohio. Cafaro also owns malls in Iowa, Kentucky, North Carolina, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, Oregon and Washington state.
One of the nation's largest privately held shopping center developers, Cafaro owns and oversees more than 30 million square feet of commercial real estate in 11 states. Its three West Virginia properties, in whole or in part, are Huntington Mall, Charleston Town Center and Meadowbrook Mall.