While shopping malls with FECs and other forms of entertainment remain the driving force in leisure in some parts of the world, notably the Middle East, the foundation of that partnership – in the US – is moving away from the traditional pattern.
Reports suggest that many shopping malls in the US are closing, mainly due to online retail, but others are adapting to fit a new formula, taking out the big anchor stores, such as Penney and Macy’s, installing instead niche retailers and a great deal of entertainment that cannot be replicated on a home games console.
Typical of this is the DW Center, at Newport News, Virginia, which was previously named the Denbigh Village Shopping Center, and which is having a US$16m makeover.
In come tenants TagTime laser tag and an “escape room” operator, BreakOut Games, plus a 50,000sq.ft indoor electric go-kart track named Speed Club. Also in are modern tenpin bowling, bumper cars, an amusement arcade, restaurant and a full-scale bar.
It is due to open this month, after the work of new owner Mark Gold, who bought the 341,000sq.ft location for £11m in February, with 17 new tenants coming in to create a new balance between retail, dining and entertainment.
The TagTime laser location will occupy a space formerly taken up by a TJ Maxx store and TagTime owners Brad and Heather Drummond hope to repeat the success of their nearby York mobile tag business.
BreakOut Games is an operator from Lexinghton, Kentucky, and it plans an escape room venue across more than 3,000sq.ft to copy its location at Virginia Beach.
The escape room will have four puzzle rooms with 20-23 puzzles to solve in each within 60 minutes. Six to eight people work together in each room to find a code to help them escape or achieve a mission.
