Shopping centers remain very popular in the United States — in the face of strong competition from online retailing and stores not located in shopping centers. However, this strength varies by the type of center.

Nielsen reports that:

“According to the 2014 State of the Shopping Center report, the number of large shopping centers (200K+ gross leasable area {GLA}) grew by 3 percent in the past year. Community centers, which feature neighborhood-serving amenities like grocery stores and dry cleaners, are still the most common type of shopping center in 2014, comprising 46 percent of centers. In 2013, Nielsen reported the rise of lifestyle centers and the decline of traditional malls like regional and super-regional centers. This trend is holding true in 2014 as consumers continue to be drawn to the shopping experience offered by lifestyle centers with their mix of retail, restaurants and entertainment options.

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