January kicked off 2025 with strong foot traffic to malls, despite the cold weather, as shoppers flocked to both indoor and open-air shopping centers.
Placer.ai’s January Mall Index revealed that visits to indoor malls increased by 5.5% year-on-year, while open-air centers and outlet malls saw more modest increases of 2.9% and 2.7%, respectively, compared to January 2024.
While overall visits were up, the data indicates that growth was driven primarily by one-off shoppers, as repeat visits remained relatively low across all mall formats.
Open-air shopping centers had the highest return rate, likely due to their mix of dining and entertainment options. However, only about a third of visitors returned more than once during the month.
Despite this growth, mall visits were still down 36.1% compared to December 2024, reflecting the usual seasonal decline after the holiday rush.
The number of minutes spent in malls, or ‘dwell time’ also dropped, although it remained higher in December due to the surge in holiday traffic. Outlet malls saw the largest dip in dwell time, from 73.8 minutes to 68.7 minutes in January.
“The January 2025 Mall Index data suggests significant growth potential for malls in 2025. The increase in one-off visits may indicate that malls are attracting a broader audience, signaling an opportunity for retailers and shopping centers to convert these casual visitors into loyal customers,” said Placer.ai.
Placer.ai’s index analyzes data from 300 malls, using machine learning to estimate visitor numbers, offering insights into the future of retail.
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