Mall makeover: creating a premier shopping destination in an ultra-competitive market.

• Author: Coon, John
• Position: Lessons Learned

Sometimes reinventing the wheel is the right blueprint for surviving in a competitive marketplace.

Fashion Place Mall has avoided suffering a fate that has befallen other traditional enclosed malls. It remains a destination for Utah shoppers after four decades in business. It isn't simply a matter of luck or location--Fashion Place followed a specific template in attracting high-end retailers and restaurants to its Murray location.

This template included giving the mall a top-to-bottom renovation, expanding the retail space and aggressively bringing in popular national retailers such as Crate & Barrel, H&M, Loft and The North Face.

"We've been able to introduce a new breath of life here, which is exciting," says Natalie Watson, senior marketing manager for Fashion Place Mall. "People love that. Everybody loves new things and new stores. It makes them feel good and we want them to enjoy their shopping experience here

Style Conscious

The evolution of Fashion Place Mall began with two phases of expansion and renovation. Rather than simply tear everything down and start again from scratch, Fashion Place executives chose to make enhancements that built upon the existing mall.

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A first phase, which was completed in 2009, offered many dramatic changes. A total of 230,000 square feet of retail space was added to the mall. This included a new 138,000-square-foot store housing Nordstrom on the north end of the mall.

The mall interior underwent a complete remodeling. Part of that effort included modernizing the food court by putting all restaurants on one level, installing a larger number of skylights and installing outdoor seating. Outside the mall, walkable elements such as a rotunda were constructed to provide a greater community feel.

A second phase of expansion in 2011 added another 98,000 square feet of retail space. This expansion paved the way for popular retailers, such as Crate & Barrel and H&M, to enter the Utah retail market for the first time.

When the 12-month expansion was completed in 2011, 17 new stores and restaurants were added to Fashion Place Mall. Seven others opened up a year later, including Francesca's Collections, LUSH and Pandora.

Forward Looking

The most interesting aspect of this makeover is that it was not a reactionary one. Fashion Place Mall has enjoyed a consistent track record of success during the four decades it has been in Murray. Mall executives did not undertake these measures to boost sales...