Big hype brings big crowds to big new open-air mall, but will they stick around?
Opening of BIG Fashion Glilot between Tel Aviv and Herzliya creates initial buzz, but with plenty of nearby malls featuring largely the same stores, shoppers might not come rushing back
Sharon Wrobel is a tech reporter for The Times of Israel
Traffic jams and long, chaotic lines did little to deter more than 150,000 curious visitors who thronged BIG Fashion Glilot for the opening of the shopping center near Tel Aviv over the weekend.
The open-air mall, featuring some 43,000 square meters (463,000 square feet) of retail space in Ramat Hasharon, opened on February 26 with a healthy dose of hype for its two levels of shopping and dining replete with stunningly expansive and elegant spaces.
With a design resembling the outdoor “lifestyle centers” that have replaced indoor shopping malls across the American retail landscape, BIG drew some 70,000 visitors to its 160 stores and restaurants on Saturday alone.
But by Monday afternoon, much of the initial hoopla and excitement around the opening appeared to have somewhat evaporated. Crowds still milled around the complex, but many appeared to be window shopping, with foot traffic much sparser inside the mall’s large fashion outlets; clothing stores such as Fox, Castro, Delta, Renuar, Golf & Co., H&M and Cos take up some two-thirds of the retail space.
“In terms of the shops, there is nothing different or new to write home about,” said Tel Aviv-based Sivan Moscovich, 29, as she and two friends gave their feet a rest on a wooden bench between trees and other green spaces in one of the mall’s outdoor corridors. “The shops are the same shops we can find elsewhere in other shopping areas for the same expensive prices, but there is a wider variety in one place.”
The hype around BIG Fashion Glilot somewhat mirrored hullaballoos surrounding other openings in recent years, such as the nearby Arena mall complex on Herzliya’s seafront or the TLV mall in Tel Aviv. But both malls have struggled to draw in crowds since the initial excitement died down, especially on weekdays.
Moscovich and her friends — twins celebrating their birthdays — had hopped on a bus from Tel Aviv to get to the mall after their curiosity was piqued by the buzz surrounding the opening.
But so far, they were less than impressed. The shopping trip had netted a single purchase and they said they doubted they would return anytime soon of their own volition.
“It would be nice if they also had shops here with vintage clothes and apparel that is more suited to the climate in Israel,” Moscovich said.
She noted that it had taken her 20 minutes of searching and waiting to find an available restroom.
The luster surrounding the mall’s opening took another hit on Tuesday when police staged a large raid in the shopping complex, arresting 33 Palestinian employees lacking authorization to work in Israel and seven of their employers, authorities said.
At an investment of NIS 2.7 billion ($745 million), BIG Fashion Glilot boasts more retail space than its two nearest competitors combined: Tel Aviv’s Ramat Aviv Mall and Herzliya’s Seven Star Mall.
The complex, located next to the Cinema City Glilot entertainment center along the badly congested Route 2 coastal highway, also features two 43-story office towers with some 75,000 square meters (807,000 square feet) of office space, and parking for 4,000 vehicles.
That number proved to be woefully insufficient on Saturday, with many visitors spending hours looking for parking just to be able to walk around and catch a first glimpse of the shopping center.
Among the list of stores and chains that opened up in the shopping center are Factory 54, which specializes in international luxury brands, upscale brands Massimo Dutti and Polo Ralph Lauren, and sportswear brands Lululemon, Nike, Alo Yoga, Adidas and Foot Locker. Spanish clothing chain Zara opened its largest store in Israel, with the Spanish retailer’s flagship space spanning over 4,500 square meters (48,400 square feet) across two levels of the shopping center.
A food court at the entrance to the complex features branches of popular Tel Aviv eateries and ice cream parlors, including celebrity chef Yisrael Aharoni’s Fried Chicken, Pizza Mount Sinai and burger chain Meat Bar. On Monday, a mixed crowd of young families, mothers with shopping bags hanging on strollers, and groups of youngsters were hanging out in and around the restaurants.
Coming out of the elegant and sleek Cos store with his wife, Daniel Goldstein, a real estate entrepreneur from Ra’anana, said he was impressed with the design and atmosphere of the new shopping center.
“The mall is big and airy with an international, or American-style vibe, and it looks like it will probably be a place for people to hang out,” said Goldstein, 55. “There are many of the same shops that opened in other nearby shopping centers, including the Ramat Aviv mall, such as Lululemon or the likes, and it will be interesting to see who wins the competition or is successful over time.”
But like Moscovich, he rued the lack of local flavor.
“What is missing are local boutiques or unique shops with apparel from local designers which would maybe draw more people to the mall,” he said.
BIG, one of the country’s leading mall developers said that average sales were NIS 150-200 ($41-55) per square meter on each of the first three days the Glilot shopping center was opened.
On Saturday, the Lego store attracted about 3,000 people, while over 10,000 visited the Adidas store, although that does not provide any indication of actual sales. Overall about 70% of the stores were open on Saturday, BIG said.
Israeli malls have been suffering from stiff competition with online shopping, driving down profit, but the war has been good for business. Despite massive dips in revenue and performance around the outbreak of war after the October 7, 2023 Hamas onslaught, several mall developers have shown impressive growth over the past year as Israelis spent their money in local malls and stores instead of traveling and shopping abroad.
But Goldstein said he had doubts that the mall’s open-air layout would keep shoppers coming back. While walking around the complex was pleasant in the mild March air, shoppers could flee during the hot summer months when humidity levels reach over 90 percent in the Tel Aviv area.
Ilya Rabinowitz, a gym instructor from Tel Aviv suburb Givatayim, said she preferred the open-air experience at BIG Glilot to enclosed shopping centers. Strolling around with her father, Rabinowitz said she wanted to try out and buy outfits at sportswear brand Oysho, which has its first Israeli store at the new shopping center.
“Everything is outside, new and modern, and there is a feeling of being abroad, but I am not sure I would rush all the way from Givatayim to return to the mall,” Rabinowitz said.
The Times of Israel Community.