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HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | MAY 4, 2026 15 Westfarms' new General Manager Carolyn Edwards at the mall's center court. HBJ Photo | Harriet Jones Retail Reset Even Norwalk's SoNo property, just seven years old, is up for sale, although retail experts say this may represent a bid to cash in on its success, rather than a reflection of falling foot traffic. Westfarms, by contrast, is nearly fully leased. Running a successful mall in 2026, Edwards says, is a combination of location and tenant mix. Both retailers and mall management must give the shopper a great experience. On the management side, that means maintaining cleanliness, safety and updated amenities. For retailers, the latest buzz word is "experiential" shopping. "When you go into a store you want to be immersed in everything," Edwards said. She pointed to examples across Westfarms, from a Tempur-Pedic store designed to resemble a high-end spa, to Jordan's Furniture, which has partnered with Sally's Apizza to draw in more customers. Retailers are also continuing to adapt to e-commerce. Many offer buy-online, pick-up-in-store options and accept in-person returns for online purchases — both strategies aimed at driving foot traffic. Meanwhile, Simon Property is rolling out digital options like an app that can help shoppers navigate the mall and access promotions. Rising tides Edwards, who lives in western Massachusetts, is a longtime West- farms customer. She says her famil- iarity with the mall illustrates another facet of its success. "Not only do we work in the local market, but we do attract people from a much wider range than maybe your normal typical shopping center would — it's a destination," she said. Westfarms' Director of Marketing and Business Development Barbara- jean Marshall also grew up shopping at the mall. She says the property's 50th anniversary, two years ago, prompted many nostalgic stories. "You know, ' I got engaged here, I had my first date here, I went to my first movie here.' Prom dress, first job — everyone has such a personal connec- tion to this shopping center," she said. Westfarms also sits within a dense retail corridor, with Corbins Corner across New Britain Avenue, anchored by Trader Joe's. Those offerings will soon include a Big Y, which is set to break ground on the southern side of the Westfarms property. The planned 54,000-square- foot grocery store is expected to open in spring 2027. "I think it's definitely going to end up enhancing the whole retail corridor," Edwards said. "We look at the folks who are adjacent to us or even across the street as being complementary versus competition. We're gonna do good because they're gonna do good." As she settles into the role, Edwards said she is also meeting with officials in West Hartford and Farmington — from town managers to police chiefs — reflecting the mall's importance to the broader community. "I mean, there's a lot of stakeholders in the community," she said. "Everybody has a vested interest in making this place continue to thrive." By Harriet Jones hjones@hartfordbusiness.com C arolyn Edwards rounds a corner on Westfarms' upper level and confronts a rare empty storefront. "What we're coming up against right here is probably the one true vacancy that we do have," she said of the West Hartford-based mall that hosts about 140 stores. The space isn't expected to stay empty for long. Outdoor retailer The North Face recently relocated elsewhere within the mall to make room for a mystery major brand that is signing a lease for 2027. Until then, a short-term tenant will likely fill the spot, according to Edwards, who is the mall's new general manager. She took over as Westfarms' full-time GM in March after serving in the role on an interim basis for owner Simon Property Group since November. She likens the constant reshuffling of tenants to a jigsaw puzzle. "Retailers want to be where they think they're going to be successful because it's a huge investment," she said. "And you want to have your brand in the same place with other like brands." She pointed to Alo Yoga, an athletic apparel brand, which is located steps from Lululemon at Westfarms. Simon Property Group, which acquired Westfarms through its 2020 takeover of Taubman Centers, main- tains a steady pipeline of prospective retail tenants, Edwards said. "There are brands that say 'we would come in tomorrow if you can give us this amount of space in this particular area,'" she said. Westfarms is in an enviable position five years after the COVID-19 pandemic slump — coupled with the rise of online shopping — threatened the viability of many brick-and-mortar retailers. Today, nearly every vacant storefront in the 1.3 million-square-foot property is covered by temporary walls adver- tising incoming tenants. A Häagen-Dazs ice cream parlor is slated to open by Memorial Day weekend. Across the central court, jewelry retailer Pandora is expanding, and around the corner Pop Mart — a fast-growing toy retailer known for its Labubu figures — plans to open soon. Many of the new tenants are targeting Gen Z shoppers — a cohort that spent much of its high school years in pandemic lockdowns and is now rediscovering in-person retail, Edwards said. "You should come here on a Saturday afternoon — it's amazing," she said. "Groups of girls, three or four, carrying their bags, having a great time, filming themselves." The data supports the anecdote. According to market intelligence company Placer.ai, foot traffic in indoor malls is trending upward this year, rising 4.5% in January and February, and that may be due to younger shoppers. A survey from PwC shows that 61% of Gen Z now prefers to discover new products in-store, and view shopping as an "event." Yet another analysis, from market research firm Circana, says that shop- pers between the ages of 18 and 24 bought 62% of their general merchan- dise in stores last year. Contrast that with those over the age of 25 who made just 52% of their purchases in person. An outlier Still, not every mall in Connecticut or across the country is posi- tioned to capitalize on the return to in-person shopping. Nationally, mall vacancy rates remain around 8.5% — higher than other retail formats — underscoring the uneven recovery across the sector, according to real estate services firm Colliers. Several major Connecticut shopping centers continue to struggle post-pandemic. For example, Waterford's Crystal Mall was recently acquired by subma- rine maker Electric Boat and will be converted to office and research space. Before the sale, mall occupancy had fallen below 50%. The Trumbull Mall is for sale, after owner Namdar Realty Group defaulted on a loan it used to buy the property in 2022. In Enfield, local officials are weighing plans to redevelop the struggling Enfield Square Mall into a mixed-use project with more than 400 housing units. New GM Edwards guides Westfarms as Gen Z fuels rebound in in-person shopping U.S. RETAIL MARKET VACANCY RATES 4.3% Overall, national retail vacancy rate 5.2% Shopping centers vacancy rate 8.5% Malls vacancy rate Source: Colliers as of 4Q 2025