Kid Hangouts Could Help Amazon-Proof Malls

Kidzania, kids malls

Mall landlords are turning to kid-focused entertainment to fight Amazon by giving shoppers another reason to stop by.

General Growth Properties CEO Sandeep Mathrani first got the idea in Dubai, where a mall he visited had an entire role-playing town just devoted to kids, Bloomberg reports. Thinking the idea would help make U.S. malls more experiential and competitive against e-commerce, he partnered with the company KidZania to bring it to GGP properties in Dallas and Chicago by 2019.

Experts said KidZania can take over empty square footage left by struggling retailers and make malls more competitive. But it is not a perfect fit for every mall. KidZania needs at least 60K SF and is best suited to suburban areas near schools.

Continue reading this story with a free account

Log in or register
Sign up for more articles like this
Subscribe to Bisnow's National Newsletters
Related Stories

Inside The Nationwide Jockeying For Opportunity Zones 2.0

Furniture Outlet The Dump Is Getting Dumped In Atlanta

Simon Approaching End Of The Road With Struggling Suburban Boston Mall

GTIS Partners Rebrands As Brightshore Capital, Launches $250M Debt Platform

Data Center Spills 5,000 Gallons Of Fuel Into New Jersey River

Hines And Rialto Close Office Credit Fund At $1.1B

Chipotle Adding Hundreds Of New Locations Worldwide

'Beyond A Routine Wobble': 10-Year Treasury Clears 5% Ahead Of Key Fed Meeting

Stockdale Capital Partners, Hamilton Lane Acquire Chino Hills Shopping Center For $157M

Bucks County Mall Closing As Owners Prepare Redevelopment Plans

Trump's DEI Crackdown Is Creating New Risks For Landlords That Lease To The Government

Airbnb Launches $250M Fund To Invest In Affordable Housing