New York(CNN)Consumers will still be heading to malls in the future. But their trips might have little or nothing to do with shopping.
With mall vacancies accelerating at a rapid clip amid a surge in online shopping, landlords are quickly looking for other ways to reuse the glut of empty stores that will help boost traffic to shopping centers.
According to data from research firm (REIS) Moody's Analytics, the rate of mall vacancies is at a historic high of 9.8% in early September, exceeding the previous peak of 9.3% in 2011.
New York(CNN)Consumers will still be heading to malls in the future. But their trips might have little or nothing to do with shopping.
With mall vacancies accelerating at a rapid clip amid a surge in online shopping, landlords are quickly looking for other ways to reuse the glut of empty stores that will help boost traffic to shopping centers.
According to data from research firm (REIS) Moody's Analytics, the rate of mall vacancies is at a historic high of 9.8% in early September, exceeding the previous peak of 9.3% in 2011.