‘Mall’ is an American word describing any large shopping center having stores for different things. You can easily shop for clothes, games, accessories, motor vehicles, play games, watch movies, etc. In recent times, the number of shopping malls has drastically increased.
Every state, the country is investing in shopping malls because it brings in more business and helps build the economy 9f the country. If you search for ‘USA shopping malls,’ you will get a list of endless shopping malls near and away from you. The mall sizes differ based on the place, area, number of people, and the kind of investment any company offers.
The success of malls largely depends on the area, purchasing power of customers, and many other factors. However, in the last few years, many malls have succeeded in the new consumerism era. In this post, we will discuss the types of shopping malls and some of the largest malls in the world.
Types of Shopping-Malls:
The ICSC, also known as the International Council of Shopping Centers, has segregated shopping malls into two types; regional and super-regional. Further, it also talks about the tenants and the available space in the shopping mall. The council has defined the factors based on the ideas and suggestions from the real estate industry.
- Regional Malls: A shopping mall with a lease area between 400,000 sq. feet to 800,000 sq. feet. The shopping mall must have at least two anchor tenants.
- Super-Regional Malls: As per the ISCS, shopping malls in the USA with a lease area of more than 800,000 sq. feet with a minimum of 3 anchor tenants is regarded as super-regional mall. In addition, the store must be the only one within 25 miles of its distance.
- Anchor Tenants: the stores inside the shopping malls are known as anchor tenants. It is famous for occupying more than the normal store size. Generally, it is a retail chain store known as the anchor tenant.
- Gross Leasable Area: The total space available for leasing or renting out in the mall is Gross Leasable Area; it is also known as GLA. Ideally, people in USA and Canada measure GLA in square feet.
In addition, any mall with a GLA of less than 400,000 square feet area is known as a neighborhood shopping center, convenience store, etc.
Largest Shopping-Malls in the World:
- CentralWorld:
CentralWorld is situated in Bangkok, Thailand. It is one of the biggest shopping malls globally and consists of everything from brand-name fashion to imported foods and ice-skating rink. It is a larger-than-life mall. You can easily spend the whole day here and still not cover all the stores and activities inside this mall.
- Berjaya Times Square:
It is situated in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It has a floor area of 7.5 million square feet, making it the fifth-largest shopping mall globally. It consists of more than 1000 shops, 60+ eateries and has an end number of entertainment attractions. You’d be glad to know that this all has Asia’s largest indoor theme park. In addition, the shopping mall is home to Malaysia’s first IMAX 2D and 3D theatre.
- Dubai Mall:
As the name suggests, Dubai Mall is situated in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It is situated in the middle of the glamour capital of the world. You’d be surprised to know that it covered around 12 million sq. feet of area with over 50 soccer fields. With such a large area, the Dubai Mall is the largest shopping mall globally. It has 1200 shops and a SEGA game center with more than 100 restaurants and cafes. Moreover, it is the gateway to the world’s tallest building Burj Khalifa.
Final Words:
Shopping malls have gained publicity because it made it easier for people to shop for different things in one place. Although shopping malls are costly, they also help save time and offer a wide variety of everything. The world’s largest malls will have brand stores, fashion, education, entertainment all under the roof. However, small shopping malls will have fewer stores and fewer entertainment activities. Whether the shopping mall is large or small, the essence of shopping in one remains amazing.
