Why Starcourt Mall Is A ‘Stranger’ In Today’s Retail Landscape
The traditional mall recently made a nostalgic comeback in the form of Starcourt Mall, a fictional shopping center featured in the latest season of “Stranger Things” (set in 1985 for those of you who aren’t fans). Much like shoulder pads and high-waisted jeans have been reinterpreted for a new generation of consumers, today’s malls are undergoing dramatic changes to stay, or once again become, relevant. When the Daily Herald Business Ledger asked us for a source to comment, we connected them with veteran retail broker Greg Kirsch, executive managing director and Midwest retail leader in the Chicago office of Taylor Johnson client Cushman & Wakefield. In the resulting cover story, Kirsch discussed how e-commerce compounded the effects of the recession and what it takes to survive in today’s competitive retail landscape.
Greg Kirsch of Cushman & Wakefield’s Chicago office talked to the Daily Herald Business Ledger about how suburban malls and big-box centers are backfilling vacancies.