Is Fairlane the next mall to die?

[cmubryan]

I was in Fairlane twice in 2011. First time was in May before a Yankees-Tigers game and the second time was a few months later in the summer. Both times the mall did seem pretty scarce of people but I never thought about the mall actually dying or being considered a dead mall. I also didn't notice the Saks store gone.

Isn't Fairlane the one with the two Macy's parts or is that Southland? I'm talking about there is a Macy's store and then on the other end of the mall there is another part of Macy's.

Macy's is divided up into two stores at Lakeside.

[R8RBOB]

Funny story...when I worked at the Kmart headquarters back in 1995-97, I worked with a lady who was from Chicago and she had issues with Metro Detroit. She told me the only thing you can do here is "go shopping." I laughed at her about that statement but if you think about it she had a point. Going back to the 1990's here are the malls that were within the vicinity of Detroit.

Northland
Eastland
Westland
Southland
Fairlane
Wonderland
Livonia Mall
Tel-Twelve Mall
Oakland Mall
Twelve Oaks Mall
Macomb Mall
Universal Mall
Somerset Mall and Somerset North
Great Lakes Crossing

Oh, can't forget the vast number of strip malls through the region.

And now, malls are dropping like files. I hated saying good-bye to Tel-12, Wonderland and Livonia Mall but these malls were dated and they couldn't compete. Malls like Northland, Eastland and Oakland Mall are holding on to dear life because they too are dated and on the cusp of extinction. The only kind of mall that can survive is a mega-mall or outlet mall. The Fairlanes and Twelve Oaks have a short life-span because shoppers like me will go to Target or Meijer or China-Mart to buy cheap Chinese-made goods at a cheap price or go online.

[Brian1979]

Macy's is divided up into two stores at Lakeside.

Ok that could of been the mall I'm thinking of considering I was in that mall once this year.

[Brian1979]

Does anyone remember an ice skating rink on the ground floor at Fairlane?

[Detroit_uke]

I remember the ice skating at Fairlane. I also remember before Fairlane was built! Fairlane didn't seem to be empty over the holidays! In fact, I thought it was pretty packed. Going to have to go back and see the Monday after Christmas papers....they reported that within two hours after opening - the lot was 80% full...and we're talking 7am opening time. new stores coming and going...it's morphing into something different - what exactly remains to be seen! I wish them well...I live within walking distance [[on a nice day)

[Gistok]

eventually there will only be one or two malls left... Somerset and maybe Twelve Oaks.

All the other ones are in decline of various stages. Even the new Partridge Creek seems doomed considering the fate of its twin... Wonderland Mall [[which was eventually covered but still couldn't hold on and was demolished for a Target and Wall Mart).

How did you come to the conclusion that Wonderland and Partridge Creek are twins?

One was built 50 years ago, later covered over then torn down for regular big box stores... and the other is only 5 years old, and seems to be doing quite well for being the only mall in the metro area that has another mall [[Lakeside) nearby.

Partridge Creek is quite upscale as well with Nordstrom's and Parisian and 90 shops and restaurants. Not so with any version of Wonderland.

[HistoryNotHisStory]

Most retailers receive 80% of their profits from the holiday season.

So if the major retailers at Fairlane has a routine habit of very poor consecutive holiday seasons, it expect some changes.

[Mikeg]

Most retailers receive 80% of their profits from the holiday season.....

That statement is doesn't square with the typical sales percentage ranges reported for the two month long holiday period. You'd have to replace "most" with "some" or "shaky" or "80%" with "50%" to make it even somewhat believable - that is unless you have a source to back up your assertion.

According to this source, November and December

......account for up to 40 percent of annual retail sales and an even greater percentage of annual profits.

This source states that October, November and December,

....could generate more than half of annual profits for electronics, jewelry and other retailers.

According to the National Retail Federation,

For some retailers, the holiday season can represent anywhere between 25-40% of annual sales. In 2010, holiday sales represented 19.4% of total retail industry sales.

Any retailer earning 80% of their annual profits in the last two months of the year is undoubtedly operating at a loss in the other ten months of the year and that is not a sustainable business model.

[Hypestyles]

what is the shape of Laurel Park Place? is there a movie theater out there?

..How does 12 Oaks compare to, say, Lakeside Mall in terms of diversity of stores?

[Brian1979]

I remember the ice skating at Fairlane. I also remember before Fairlane was built! Fairlane didn't seem to be empty over the holidays! In fact, I thought it was pretty packed. Going to have to go back and see the Monday after Christmas papers....they reported that within two hours after opening - the lot was 80% full...and we're talking 7am opening time. new stores coming and going...it's morphing into something different - what exactly remains to be seen! I wish them well...I live within walking distance [[on a nice day)

If my memory serves me wasn't the rink where the movie theater is now?

[DetroitPlanner]

what is the shape of Laurel Park Place? is there a movie theater out there?

It has a main hallway but its oddly laid out. Two Department Store Anchors: Parsian and Von Maur. It also has a full service Marriot and several bars. The Movie theatre is located about 30' from one entrance in a giant office building that has a parking structure. In addition, there is a Marriot Courtyard that is part of it. This is all surrounded by Condos, office buildings, a couple of banks, and a Holiday Inn.

It is actually well thought out and about as mixed use as a shopping mall gets. It is however pretty ugly an not too inspiring. The closest analogous mall would be Partidge Creek, but with a roof and fewer dogs.

[DetroitPlanner]

If my memory serves me wasn't the rink where the movie theater is now?

No the old Movie Theatre/Ice Rink wing was torn down and replaced by a freestanding stadium style movie house.

[Bham1982]

what is the shape of Laurel Park Place? is there a movie theater out there?

..How does 12 Oaks compare to, say, Lakeside Mall in terms of diversity of stores?

12 Oaks is significantly more upscale than Lakeside, and is much more successful.

12 Oaks was expanded relatively recently, and has few vacancies.

In contrast, Lakeside has many vacancies, and the new Partridge Creek mall lured many of the nicer stores that were once in Lakeside.

[DetroitPlanner]

12 Oaks is significantly more upscale than Lakeside, and is much more successful.

12 Oaks was expanded relatively recently, and has few vacancies.

In contrast, Lakeside has many vacancies, and the new Partridge Creek mall lured many of the nicer stores that were once in Lakeside.

12 Oaks and Partidge Creek are run by Taubman's REIT. Lakeside used to be a Taubman Mall but now I think its either a Simon or GGP.

[Brian1979]

No the old Movie Theatre/Ice Rink wing was torn down and replaced by a freestanding stadium style movie house.

Yep so that's what's there now, but I thought that before it was torn down the ice rink was on the first floor and the movie theater on the second. At least that's how I remember it, I remember it was across from the Hudson's wing.

[Brian1979]

what is the shape of Laurel Park Place? is there a movie theater out there?

..How does 12 Oaks compare to, say, Lakeside Mall in terms of diversity of stores?

Laurel Park only has two main anchors, Von Maur is one and the other one is Parisian. The movie theater is near Parisian about 50 feet from the mall itself so it's not attached. It's odd being that it only has two anchor stores.

[Brian1979]

12 Oaks and Partidge Creek are run by Taubman's REIT. Lakeside used to be a Taubman Mall but now I think its either a Simon or GGP.

Lakeside is GGP.

[DetroitPlanner]

Yep so that's what's there now, but I thought that before it was torn down the ice rink was on the first floor and the movie theater on the second. At least that's how I remember it, I remember it was across from the Hudson's wing.

Fairly accurate. I would characterize it as being a sub-wing of the Penny's wing, but it was opposite Hudson's. Yes the ice was on the lower level.

[bartock]

12 Oaks is significantly more upscale than Lakeside, and is much more successful.

12 Oaks was expanded relatively recently, and has few vacancies.

In contrast, Lakeside has many vacancies, and the new Partridge Creek mall lured many of the nicer stores that were once in Lakeside.

I've been to Lakeside several times in the last couple weeks, and did not notice "many vacancies" at all. The parking lots were fairly full [[not like Partridge Creek, however, which were teeming).

Partridge Creek is "relatively" small in size to Lakeside, so while it did get some of the stores, the Sears/Macy's/Penny's/Lord & Taylor anchors all remain. My understanding is that Lakeside has not suffered nearly as bad as predicted when Partridge Creek opened.

[Detroit_uke]

For the original plans of Fairlane got to: mallsofamerica.blogspot.com/2006/12/fairlane-town-center.html
Enjoy

[HistoryNotHisStory]

That statement is doesn't square with the typical sales percentage ranges reported for the two month long holiday period. You'd have to replace "most" with "some" or "shaky" or "80%" with "50%" to make it even somewhat believable - that is unless you have a source to back up your assertion.

According to this source, November and December



This source states that October, November and December,



According to the National Retail Federation,



Any retailer earning 80% of their annual profits in the last two months of the year is undoubtedly operating at a loss in the other ten months of the year and that is not a sustainable business model.

Your statement reaffirms my statement.

Profit is different than revenues.

[Mark Smiles]

Lakeside has been going downhill ever since they stopped serving beer at the JC Penneys.

[Mikeg]

Your statement reaffirms my statement.

Profit is different than revenues.

You obviously didn't read my post. You made a statement and I provided information from real sources. I also made a very clear distinction between sales [[revenue) and profit, but since it went over your head, I will repeat and color-code it just for you.

The sources I provided indicate that:

a) for many traditional retailers the holiday season can represent anywhere between 25% to 40% of annual sales.
b) holiday sales represented 19.4% of total retail industry sales in 2010.
c) November and December can account for up to 40% of annual retail sales for individual retailers and an even greater percentage of their annual profits.
d) October, November and December can generate more than 50% of annual profits for electronics, jewelry and other retailers.

To summarize, recent holiday [[Nov & Dec) retail sales were less than 20% of the total annual retail sales even though individual retailers can experience up to 40% of their annual sales - and a higher percentage of their annual profits - in those two holiday months. However, only certain types of retailers can generate more than 50% of their annual profits at the end of the year and they take three months to do it - not two months.

Therefore, your claim than most retailers generate 80% of their annual profits in the last two months of the year is not even remotely supported by my sources.

[Brian1979]

Fairly accurate. I would characterize it as being a sub-wing of the Penny's wing, but it was opposite Hudson's. Yes the ice was on the lower level.

Yeah the more I think about it the closest major anchor to it was Penny's.

[mwilbert]

There is a long-term shift of retail share away from malls, so you end up with more malls than you need, so some of them have to shut down. If you think about the old-line malls, they typically were anchored [[in this area) by a Sears and a Hudson's, both of which have been declining since before Fairlane even existed. Once malls start declining, they tend to get into a vicious circle, with poorer inventory drawing fewer customers, and fewer customers supporting less-well-stocked stores. Certainly that is the place Northland is in, and perhaps that is where Fairlane is going as well.

I'm likely not representative, but my household probably spends at least ten times as much online as it does in malls. Ten years ago that would not have been the case at all.