Reflecting the desire for experiences that evoke wonder (see Inspiring Communal Awe in Pop Culture Primer 2025), smart mall operators are partnering with festival organisers, arts pioneers and theme park behemoths on attractions centring active immersion – often as anti-homogenising anchor tenants. Designed to engross visitors whose attention is increasingly fractured, experiences include participatory theatre and ultra-imaginative odes to nature.

Accentuating the benefits of multi-brand single-destination retailing, forward-thinking malls are creating services spanning all tenants. Deploying cutting-edge omnichannel tech, key strategies include cross-mall stock checking, loyalty memberships linked to buy now, pay later (BNPL) programmes and agentic (artificial intelligence/AI) concierges.

With 67% of Brits interested in wellness services, including medical support, within malls (Westfield, 2024), there’s a significant opportunity in transitioning malls into one-stop medi-fitness shops – particularly those with a luxury bent. Destinations covering medi-retail, tweakment studios, next-gen therapies, including exosomal and NAD+, and even food and beverage leaning into longevity lead the way.

With families fragmented by long working hours and little space to play (see Key Stats), smart malls are framing themselves as social and familial glue – providing space for families to come together at little or low cost. This civic yet commercially astute tactic is being supercharged by Gen Alphas’ increasing agency within families (also, see Key Stats).

As noted in our 2023 report Remastering the Mall, global Gen Zers’ love affair with the mall continues as a direct consequence of their desire for real-life socialisation – with some of the most astute strategies originating from the Asia-Pacific region. These spaces are embracing the role of community connector by crafting pop-culturally grounded hangout spaces and programming.

With sensory processing sensitivity affecting 20% to 35% of the global population, overstimulating mall design is a mainstream problem. Some shopping centres are acknowledging this by emphasising calming somatic (body-centred) design, boosting visitors’ wellbeing and acting as a ‘spatial pause’ amidst overwhelm.