Yelp: Dining and experiences, not retail, driving mall visits
Increasingly, malls are not just for shopping.
During the past five years, people are increasingly visiting malls for dining experiences, particularly at national casual-dining and quick-service restaurants, with 17 of the top 25 mall brands are in the food category, according to new data from Yelp
The data shows that the number of food and restaurant businesses in malls is growing, with locations increasing by 7% from 2019 to 2024. Bubble tea was the fastest-growing category, with a staggering 113% increase in the number of stores from 2019 to 2024. Other dining favorites have also seen significant increases, including waffles (up 77%), vegan food (up 54%) and Filipino food (up 36%) during that same time period.
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Among top mall brands by consumer interest, The Cheesecake Factory leads the list, followed by Din Tai Fung, a newer, more premium Taiwanese restaurant. Finally, one of the world’s largest department stores, Macy's, ranks third. Target is the only other retailer in the top 10 (No. 8).
Experiences, technology, and value retailers are driving growth among non-food categories in malls. VR centers are the second-fastest growing category since 2019, up by 79%. Other notable growth categories include medical spas (up 50%) and mobile phones (up 40%). With high inflation over the last several years, thrift stores have increased 29% within malls since 2019.
“While traditional retail remains important, the focus has shifted towards food and entertainment, with restaurants playing a central role in attracting visitors,” said Yelp. “This trend is reshaping the mall landscape, with different culinary offerings and unique experiences becoming key drivers of mall traffic. As malls continue to evolve, the integration of dining and entertainment will likely play an increasingly important role in their success.”
To identify the most popular mall brands, Yelp ranked brands with a minimum of 10 active locations in malls or shopping centers by consumer interest from September 2023 - August 2024. Yelp analyzed search increases by measuring the frequency of phrases mentioned per million searches, comparing September 2023 - August 2024 vs. 12 months prior.
