When it comes to shopping centers in the U.S. consumers generally have two options: an indoor mall or an outdoor shopping center. While the largest percentage (36%) enjoy both kinds of shopping venues equally, 29% of respondents prefer indoor malls and 15% prefer outdoor shopping centers. Of course, each type of shopping destination attracts a particular crowd.
Currently, Millennials lead the way in preferring outdoor shopping centers, while Gen X and Baby Boomers prefer indoor malls. Gen Z likes them both. But age-related preferences are just the beginning. Keep reading to discover what sets outdoor shopping center shoppers and indoor mall shoppers apart.
Spending Habits: Those who prefer outdoor shopping centers are almost twice as likely to say they’re ‘very’ careful about spending money, while those who prefer indoor malls say they are just ‘somewhat’ careful. While those who prefer outdoor shopping centers enjoy splurging on physical pampering the most, those who opt for an indoor shopping experience are more likely to splurge on expensive liquor.
Debt: Fans of outdoor shopping centers are ‘very’ comfortable with the amount of debt they have today, while indoor mall enthusiasts are more likely to be ‘neutral’ about their amount of debt.
Beauty Trends: Fans of indoor malls are 12 percentage points more likely to follow trends in beauty. Looking specifically at retailers, outdoor shopping center fans are three times as likely to have made a purchase from Sephora in the last three months. Rates of purchases from Ulta are even among both types of shoppers.
Food Court Finds: Those who prefer outdoor shopping centers are nearly four times as likely as indoor mall shoppers to eat at fast-casual restaurants once a week or more—a good sign for the restaurants that tend to pop up in these spaces.
Clearly, each set of shoppers has a unique set of characteristics that impact more than just their mall-day experience. From financial perspectives to where you’re headed for dinner, whether you prefer to shop at an outdoor shopping center or an indoor mall may say more than you realize.
Love taking polls? Sign up to participate in the Poll of the Day here.
This article’s data comes solely from CivicScience’s database, which contains nearly 700,000 poll questions and 5 billion consumer insights.