Riding Waves at the Mall

Money might be tight, but there's no shortage of creativity coming from the retail industry these days. To see the latest of their creative works, look no further than your local mall. With vacancies rising, mall owners are turning to some unusual solutions to fix this growing problem reports the New York Times.

Some are harnessing the power of waves and filling vacant stores with increasingly-popular wave-making machines. One adventure sports retailer, Adrenalina, has even added the water ride to its stores. The contraption may not be that aesthetically-pleasing, but the experience is attracting enthusiastic crowds and repeat visits.

Some other solutions that may not be as exciting as a wave-making machine but still effective include: inviting non-traditional mall tenants like grocery stores to set up shop, dividing up larger spaces to accommodate more than one retailer, and turning empty anchor stores into community colleges. Some mall owners have also been encouraging smaller tenants to take over larger spaces. Pop-up environments have also been providing temporary relief.

Walking through my local mall this weekend, I saw quite a few vacant storefronts with "New construction starting soon" signs hanging in the windows. I don't think we'll be getting a wave-riding machine any time soon, but this article has me a little excited to see what'll be opening up in coming months.