Are hybrid work schedules increasing traffic at suburban open-air centers?
COVID cases have mostly gone away, but the hybrid work model the pandemic spawned has not. Workers on the home-and-office carousel are now the norm. In 2022, 42% of American workers were on it, according to a recent AT&T study, which also predicted the percentage would rise to 81% in 2024.
These are some of the facts put forth in a new whitepaper called “A Breath of Open-Air” from Elmsford, N.Y. based DLC, owner-operator of some 80 open-air centers in the United States. The company’s CEO and Founder, Adam Ifshin, says the volume of letters of intent the company’s been receiving in recent months and the names of strong national brands on those documents is proof that, today, people prefer shopping closer to home.
“Our society is moving from urban-based to suburban-based. Traffic in all our centers is well above what it was in 2019,” Ifshin said. “We have seen unprecedented demand for our locations from brands like Macy’s, Ulta, Dick’s, and Buckle. Gyms and medical facilities are on the rise, as well.”
