Insomniacs listen in tonight to the Future of the Shopping Mall on radio ABC Local “Overnights”
There’s far too much talk about the demise of the mall or shopping centre.
If they are on their way out then why is $4.9 billion being spent on refurbs by Westfield and Chadstone undertaking its own mega renovation and expansion.
We have for ever shopped in local markets, village squares and shuks and that isn’t going to change soon, but something’s got to change if they’re going to remain relevant and profitable in the future.
So what is the Future of Shopping Centres’ in Australia?
I’m so glad you asked and for the answer join me on Radio ABC Local’s Overnights with Rod Quinn in the wee small hours of tomorrow – Saturday 7th February – @ 4.10 a.m. as we chat through the Malls of the Future and take listeners thoughts and questions – hope you can join me and maybe even phone in on 1300 800 222.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What are the structural signals threatening the traditional shopping mall model?
The structural signals threatening the traditional shopping mall model are multiple and reinforcing: the migration of commodity and comparison purchases to online removes the anchor tenant economics that supported mall development (department stores and electronics retailers that drove foot traffic are the most disrupted categories); the changing demographics of retail visits (older populations who physically visited malls are being replaced by younger consumers who default to digital); the time poverty of two-income households reducing discretionary shopping time; and the growing preference for experience-based spending over product-based spending, which is not inherently a mall activity. Together these signals challenge the fundamental economic proposition of the enclosed mall model — that concentrating retail in a single destination creates sufficient foot traffic to justify the investment.
Q: What does genuine shopping centre reinvention look like, and which centres are doing it well?
Genuine shopping centre reinvention moves from retail anchor to community hub: the centres showing the strongest signals of sustainable reinvention are those that have replaced failing retail tenancies with: healthcare services (GP practices, allied health, dental) that generate regular, recurring visits from the full demographic range; food and beverage experiences that support dwell time and social activity rather than just convenient eating; entertainment and leisure (gyms, climbing walls, cinema, bowling) that generate weekend destination visits; professional and government services (Medicare, Centrelink, post offices, library services) that bring consistent foot traffic; and community programming (markets, events, cultural programming) that creates identity beyond shopping. The centres that are failing are those attempting to solve the problem with more and better retail rather than with a fundamentally different purpose proposition.
Q: How does the future of the shopping mall connect to broader urban planning and community questions?
The shopping mall’s future is inseparable from broader questions about suburban community infrastructure: in many Australian suburbs, the shopping centre is the primary public space — the place where community members encounter each other outside of private spaces; the redesign of shopping centres as genuine community hubs rather than retail containers has significant implications for social cohesion in suburban environments where other community spaces have not been invested in; and the planning decisions being made now about the use of large retail precinct sites will shape suburban community life for decades. This is a planning and investment decision, not just a retail decision, and the most forward-thinking local councils and property owners are treating it as such.
Q: How can I book Morris Misel for a retail futures, urban planning, or community and place keynote?
Contact the booking team at morrismisel.com/event-organisers.
There’s far too much talk about the demise of the mall or shopping centre. If they are on their way out then why is $4.9 billion being spent on refurbs by Westfield and Chadstone undertaking its own mega renovation and expansion. We have for ever shopped in local markets, village.
The window between a signal arriving and it demanding a response is shortening. Insomniacs listen in tonight to the Future of the is already shaping strategy conversations in forward-looking organisations. Treating it as a future concern rather than a present one builds a preparedness gap that will have to be closed under pressure.
The most important question is not whether Insomniacs listen in tonight to the Future of the will matter, but how quickly it will matter in your specific context. Leaders benefit most from mapping the ripple effects early — not just the direct impact but the second and third-order consequences that arrive later and hit harder. That is the practical work of foresight.
