Stroll around many regional malls during the past half-decade and you might notice a curious sound. Or, more accurately, lack of sound. Cash registers are ringing less. In fact, since 1995, sales at regional malls have plummeted to 19 percent of the nation's retail dollar. That's one-half the total of the early ‘90s.
Savvy regional malls are beginning to implement a powerful strategy to combat this market-share erosion. Calling on top retail architects, they're going beyond mere revitalization efforts to fully reinvent what their mall can be. One firm that's getting much of this work is MulvannyG2 Architecture, headquartered in Bellevue, Wash. According to firm President Mitch Smith, “The days of ‘one mall fits all’ are over. Clients are calling upon us to imbue their mall with a unique persona and flair.”
In this economy, a primary goal, as you might guess, is saving money. Because upgrades are less expensive than building new, there is growing interest in this trend. Taking their cues from proprietary research, and expertise gleaned from successful revitalization projects, MulvannyG2 looks at the experience from the customer's perspective. Today's shopper wants diversity not only in merchandise, but in the look and feel of the space. They want design flair, a feel of community and a sense that they're experiencing more of a village vs. a uniform shell based on expediency.
Now, the nation's 10th-largest architectural firm, and fifth-largest retail architecture firm, MulvannyG2 works with market leaders such as Costco, Madison Marquette, Target and Nike on everything from retail rollout to branded environments.
Address: MulvannyG2 Architecture 1110 112th Avenue NE Suite 500 Bellevue, WA 98004
Telephone: 425.463.2000
Fax: 425.463.2002
Website: www.MulvannyG2.com
E-mail: info@MulvannyG2.com
Year Established: 1971
Key Contacts: Don Tuttle, Director of Business Development Mitchell C. Smith, President