Strip malls are generally characterized by a collection of retail stores in a row. Shopping centers or shopping plazas, and strip malls have existed in America for decades. Thanks to an increase in commercial construction over the years and a growing population, there are more strips malls in the country than ever before.
These strip malls brought some level of convenience to shoppers by bringing everything into one location. They have also increased accessibility to consumer products in residential areas.
Technology, however, has been causing a lot of problems for strip malls. By making it easier for you to buy anything you want on the internet and have it delivered to your home, it robs strip malls of the convenience they once provided. Additionally, it has also threatened to affect a significant portion of its traffic.
Despite this, strip malls are not going down without a fight. They are reinventing themselves through commercial renovations that bring them back to their past glory. This allows them to keep their traffic.
There are three types of strip malls. They include community centers, neighborhood centers, and strip centers. Each varies in size and the number of people they can serve a go.
Here are several ways in which business owners are renovating strip malls to make them relevant to the modern shopper.
Offering Mixed-used Spaces
The modern strip mall is designed to allow as many people as possible in both size and diversity. You are now most likely to find gyms, spas, bowling alleys, office spaces, and residential spaces within the strip malls. Gilmore Heating and Air, an HVAC company that offers air conditioning repair in Sacramento, agrees that this increases traffic which, in turn, helps increase revenue.
Integrating Public Transport
Initially, strip malls were designed with parking lot spaces in the front. This is changing as commercial renovators are redesigning them and allowing space for public transport.
Modernizing the Retail Experience
One of the most important objectives of retail renovation is in creating a better experience for shoppers. It helps beat competition with online shopping avenues which offer better flexibility in terms of user experience. This means increasing services that will enhance user experience and make them want to come back by offering in-demand services such as restaurants and organic groceries.
Including Medical Facilities
Strip malls are increasingly adding medical facilities in order to make healthcare more flexible to shoppers. Contractors are now creating medial facilities that go beyond the conventional healthcare system. This includes having specialized medical services such as dialysis clinics and pharmacies.
Creating Entertainment Spaces
Modern technology has increased the number of entertainment channels for users. Not everyone has access to this technology. Also, some of these technologies require large spaces which make it impractical to have in individual homes. This has seen strip malls including entertainment centers such as virtual reality gaming facilities. Now, players can converge and enjoy gaming features such as multiple players, tournaments and so much more.
Strip malls offer a convenience that is yet to be fully exploited by landlords and shoppers alike. It is likely that they will be around for a long time. However, to beat their competition, they need to stay relevant to the consumers. For information about our commercial construction services, contact Headwaters Construction Inc. or check out our projects to see our latest work.
