Shopping for shoppers

A new retail experience is emerging for shoppers of all shapes and wallet sizes. Stores and outlet centers, aware of the increasing competition for consumers’ dollars, are getting bigger, more lavish, and more customer-friendly. High-end fashion leaders like Prada and Gucci entice customers with new mega-stores in London, Milan, and New York that offer computer-aided accessorizing and dressing-room walls that go transparent for patrons to model their selections. These humongous fashion centers can cost upwards of $100 million, depending on the address.

But chi-chi shoppers aren’t the only patrons benefiting from retail competition. Outlet malls, once the home of irregular merchandise and industrial locations, are turning into family theme parks. New centers boast play rooms for the tots, high-tech arcades for the teens, and billiards and fine dining for Mom and Dad. Mall designers also have added landscaping and more stylish tenants to attract customers.

While these trends translate into better shopping for consumers, experts wonder if developers will ever see a return on such huge investments. A slowing economy hurts retailers of all types, but those with huge outlays for new stores or outlet malls will feel the blow exponentially.

Photo © PhotoDisc.

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