Stephan Sandor in 2021 had an idea for a different type of tattoo studio, featuring an upscale, inviting atmosphere that people could feel comfortable entering.
Not any type of commercial real estate would do for that idea, he said. Downtown Springfield was too saturated with outstanding studios, he said. Strip malls were not exclusive or interesting enough.
The Hargis family, having acquired a large nursery near Nixa in 2020, wanted to open up a Springfield storefront that would show off a sampling of their offerings.
They needed a location with plenty of visibility and traffic. While their Nixa-based gift store was much larger, they didn’t think they would get people to come visit a nursery during the winter holidays, squarely in the midst of a non-growing season.
A certain location was a priority pick for both: the mall. Even though shopping malls across the country are struggling, both owners placed a high priority on getting space in the Battlefield Mall.
“We wanted to set ourselves apart by being in the mall,” Sandor said. “Springfield is growing to a point where the population is ready for more upscale options, from restaurants to tattoos, and we are helping expand to that point.”
Projections for the future of malls in general are grim. According to Malls.com, the number of shopping centers in the United States dropped from 2,500 in the ‘80s heyday to about 700 as of January.
Economic engine in southwest Springfield
Located at the corner of Glenstone Avenue and Battlefield Road, the Battlefield Mall has grown into an economic powerhouse since its opening in 1970. The mall is an anchor making the intersection one of the city’s busiest.
Thriving in the mall-based culture of the 1980s, it outlived area competitors — but even when other shopping malls were open for business, the Battlefield Mall was the top dog, the one that got nicknamed “the Mall.”
It has endured through society’s shift to internet shopping and made it through the COVID-19 pandemic. While the large, echo-filled space Sears left behind sounds a quiet alarm, the rest of the mall is buzzing with activity — only a handful of its spaces are devoid of tenants.
About 150 different businesses of all sorts occupy more than 1.2 million square feet of space that make up the mall — plenty of restaurants, service providers and activity venues are nestled with retail stores of all types. It is a significant employer, as well. In addition to its own staff, hundreds of workers hold full-time or part-time jobs there.
The mall sees about 12 million visitors a year, according to its website. It also hosts other events, such as the Greater Springfield Farmers Market, in its large parking lots.
“As far as sales, we are continually seeing strong customer sales trending to last year’s levels,” said Alli Gray, director of marketing and business development. “According to a recent customer survey, we are on track to have more sales than last year, so we’re excited about that. We are seeing great growth for retailers.”
Struggling malls across the country
The Battlefield Mall’s corporate owner, Simon Property Group, is well aware of how shopping malls are threatened across the country. Simon owns many of the country’s more notable malls, such as the alligator-shaped Sawgrass Mills in Sunrise, Florida, and the $8.5 billion Shops at Crystals in the Las Vegas metro area.
While the nation’s largest mall owner has a reputation for owning some of the country’s best malls, it has also felt the economic crunch of a decline in foot traffic at shopping centers. In 2020, the company allowed a “friendly foreclosure” of two malls in Ohio and Wisconsin, and also relinquished control of two other malls in Pennsylvania and Connecticut, according to a 2020 report from MarketWatch.
An impending recession and the health of large retail brands that occupy anchor stores lead the president of Siteworks, Nick Egelanian, to predict that in 10 or 15 years only 150 to 200 of those will remain.
Developing an objective, quantitative picture of the Battlefield Mall’s health is difficult. Officials with Simon Property Group did not provide any sales figures for any of its properties. Gray said the Battlefield Mall won an internal award in 2021, being named “Best of the Best” among Simon’s more than 200 properties.
Upon request by the Daily Citizen, the company declined to share any sort of rankings or other performance indicators comparing how Battlefield was performing compared to its cohorts.
Battlefield Mall’s battle plan
Gray said the staff at the mall has worked hard over the last few years to help the mall adapt to changing customer demands.
Battlefield Mall’s battle plan is fought on several fronts, Gray said:
- Attracting a mix of national brands attractive to different price points. From bargains to luxuries, the mall tries to offer something for a range of customers, Gray said.
- Supporting with messaging and advertisements. From banner ads on its website to literal banners in the rafters of the mall, it bolsters the sales messages of its tenants.
- Interactive shopping experiences. The mall has put some work into helping shoppers plan their outings with digital tools, such as inventory searches of mall stores.
- Expanding with new features and infrastructure. A prime example of this is the Glenstone Avenue edge of the mall, which now features a line of storefront entrances. That project was completed in 2006. “That was big for us, because it created a different type of shopping experience,” Gray said.
Boosting Springfield business owners
A key component of the plan addresses Springfield entrepreneurs directly, however: Offering to help build their business. Gray said 14 of the about 150 businesses are owned by locals.
“Some of them have really cool stories of how they have been here and seen growth,” Gray said. “Springfield is a local type of town. We love local here, and we work to have that mix of local and national brands.”
Inside the mall, alongside advertisements for specials, services and sales, are messages encouraging entrepreneurs to “build their brand.” They are positioned in key, high-traffic places and are tailored to their location. A sign in the food court displays a variety of entrees and the message, “Your restaurant belongs here.”
Gray said that also means working with locals on monthly lease costs. While she did not discuss exact numbers, she said the mall ensures it offers the foot traffic and support that backs up its lease prices.
“In terms of cost, we take it on a case-by-case basis,” Gray said. “We want to focus on local businesses, and partnering with them, doing whatever we can provide, and offer the things that strip centers can’t.”
The cost to rent space is likely high.
The mall is considered some of Springfield’s best commercial space, said Lee McLean, a senior advisor for SVN Rankin Co., a commercial real estate firm.
The average commercial real estate cost for the Springfield market is about $15 per square foot on average, and that large retail spaces can range anywhere from $10 to $30 per square foot. As potential level of foot traffic escalates, so does the lease price, he said.
While there are more expensive areas to lease commercial space in the city, the mall commands a premium.
“The Battlefield Mall is a target destination,” McLean said. “Whether people choose to locate within the mall or look for real estate nearby, it is our biggest attraction for retail in this market.”
Taking up the offer
Kelsey Hargis is a member of the Hargis family, owners of Garden Adventures Nursery. After acquiring the nursery in February of 2020, they quickly moved to start selling in the mall, opening up their store in October the same year.
Hargis is the nursery’s plant manager — she selects what is sold at the mall store, including the artistic and decorative items offered from other vendors. She said the mall’s holiday traffic made the space attractive.
“It was knowing that its traffic, especially the holiday traffic, would be much more than at our nursery that made us want to be in the mall,” Hargis said. “Especially during the winter. It’s cold, it’s not planting season, but the mall is packed.”
That traffic also allows the staff of Garden Adventures to attract customers who had no idea they were interested in plants. Once they’re in the store, they can learn about the Nixa location and its expanded offerings, Hargis said.
For about two years, Sandor has operated Infinium Studios, where seven tattoo artists and two piercing specialists handle both appointments and walk-ins.
Even though Sandor targeted the mall for traffic-related reasons, he said the traffic is better than he hoped for.
“People are looking for things they can’t get online, and we set out to offer a more inviting atmosphere than what people usually associate with tattoo studios,” Sandor said. “The traffic here has actually been pretty good, more than I thought it would be.”
Both business owners say that they get plenty of support from the mall’s management, and feel encouraged to remain. Hargis said the response from customers shows the family their plan worked, and mall officials have displayed the store’s unique offerings in high-visibility places.
“We have had so many people come to the nursery for the first time because they found us at the mall,” Hargis said. “That’s the biggest thing, getting our name out there so people can learn about us and see what we are all about.”
Sandor said the mall’s support goes further, based on his industry. It took some work to convince the Simon Properties staff that the same upscale concept he had seen in bigger cities would work in Springfield. Now, his tattoo studio is the only one inside any of Simon’s properties, he said.
“The mall’s new manager was on our side from the very beginning,” Sandor said. “Local management has been absolutely supportive, and we have a great experience with them. It’s been a positive experience.”
Surviving, thriving
Others have taken notice of the mall’s success. While it has had the advantage of being located at one of the city’s busiest intersections, the mall has also done its part to make the Battlefield and Glenstone corridors attractive to national franchises.
“It is well organized and done a good job of reinventing itself,” McLean said. “Frequently a city will grow away from a mall, but the Battlefield Mall has been in such a good location that it has continued to thrive. And many other national brands that have chosen Springfield want to locate themselves near there.”
Matt Morrow, president and CEO of the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce, said Springfield’s size, as well as creative solutions from mall management, have helped the mall buck national trends. He noted that while Sears has closed, retailers that have closed other stores nationwide such as JCPenney and Macy’s have remained in the Queen City of the Ozarks.
Morrow was especially complimentary of the Glenstone-facing stores.
“They managed to turn the mall inside-out,” Morrow said. “They had no external-facing shops right along Glenstone, but they opened it up for facing (to attract) national brands.”
Gray said the mall is not done growing. A plan for the vacated Sears space has not yet been announced.
Whatever the plan is, Gray said the Springfield community will be part of that plan.
“We are blessed to be here,” Gray said. “We are in a wonderful center, and we have a wonderful team … I feel like we are constantly working to be a community location, whether it is family programming, events or retail support. We’re always looking to max out our programs.”
