Consumer Acceptance of Urban Open-Air Mixed-Use Centers: A Cross-Generational Comparison

Research shows that consumers are generally open to new retail formats. Heitmeyer and Kind (2004), for example, indicate that residents of New Urbanist communities such as Celebration, Florida and Haile Plantation, Florida are open to new retail formats in which to shop. In addition, Anderson, Burns, and Reid (2003) note that consumers are drawn to retail formats that are somewhat new and innovative. Conversely, according to Pacelle (1997), there has been a trend of declining consumer patronage at traditional regional mall centers, leading to a decline in sales growth. Consequently, some anchor stores are moving to new retail formats; one example is the relocation of J.C. Penney’s from a traditional regional mall to the open-air Wiregrass Commons in Wesley Chapel, near Tampa, Florida (Sasso, 2005). Wakefield and Baker (1998) report that consumers state that many malls look identical, they do not enjoy the experience in traditional malls, and mall stores often offer the same merchandise. In addition, consumers are not simply shopping; they are also looking for entertainment, whether the entertainment be through the retail format itself or with other establishments such as coffee shops, bars, theaters, music venues, or sports arenas.