Indoor malls are making a surprising comeback. After years of trailing behind open-air and outlet centers, enclosed malls saw a 1.8% rise in foot traffic this March, surpassing their open-air counterparts. The rebound, driven in part by younger and more affluent shoppers, suggests a renewed interest in the classic indoor mall experience.

Placer.ai credits this shift to consumer confidence and revitalization efforts at top-tier malls, including major investments like Walmart’s and Simon’s acquisitions. Still, visit durations remain shorter than pre-pandemic levels across all mall types—proof that the retail landscape is evolving, but hasn’t fully bounced back just yet.

Palm Beach, long a favorite of wealthy Northeasterners, is now seeing a wave of California transplants drawn by sun, savings, and opportunity. Agents report an unprecedented influx of West Coast buyers, from billionaire tech moguls to fire-displaced residents, all seeking refuge from California’s high taxes, politics, and natural disasters.

Notable names like Larry Ellison, Sylvester Stallone, and the Hilton family have made high-profile moves, helping put Palm Beach on the Silicon Valley radar. With zero state income tax, a booming real estate market, and major investments in business infrastructure like “Wall Street South,” Palm Beach County is quickly becoming the next elite hub for tech and finance.

As Party City fades, dollar stores are seizing the moment, expanding their party and celebration offerings to attract deal-hunting shoppers. Dollar General, Five Below, and Dollar Tree are ramping up inventory for holidays, birthdays, and special occasions, ensuring consumers have affordable ways to celebrate. With economic uncertainty and tariffs looming, budget-conscious parents may increasingly turn to these retailers for party essentials, reinforcing their role as go-to destinations for festive shopping.

After streamlining its operations with hundreds of store closures, Advance Auto Parts is shifting gears toward expansion. The retailer is set to open 30 new U.S. stores in 2025 and at least 100 more by 2027, including larger market hubs to enhance inventory and service speed. With six new stores already launched this year and more on the way, Advance Auto is reinforcing its dominance in key markets. CEO Shane O’Kelly says the company is focused on growth and committed to delivering the right parts and service to both PRO and DIY customers.

GameStop is continuing to downsize, planning to close a “significant number” of stores in 2025 after shutting down 590 locations last year. The retailer has been pulling out of several markets, including Germany, and is now looking to exit Italy. Meanwhile, the company is making a bold move into Bitcoin, planning to invest part of its cash reserves and a $1.3 billion debt offering into the cryptocurrency. Financially, GameStop saw a sharp decline in sales, with annual revenue dropping from $5.3 billion to $3.8 billion, despite an increase in net income.

Retail space availability has hit a two-year high as a wave of store closures sweeps across the U.S. According to CoStar, retail vacancies climbed to 4.8% in 2024, with over 10,000 store closures announced—including major chains like Big Lots, Joann, and Party City shutting hundreds of locations. This has added 12.5 million square feet of available space since the start of 2025.

While markets like Austin, Pittsburgh, and Atlanta saw significant increases in retail vacancies, demand remains strong in fast-growing cities like Tampa, Nashville, and Orlando, where availability has dropped. Despite the shake-up, CoStar’s Brandon Svec notes that prime retail space is still in high demand, and the rise in mid-sized vacancies could create new expansion opportunities for retailers.

Dollar Tree is cutting its losses, selling off Family Dollar for $1 billion after nearly a year of searching for a buyer. The discount chain, which Dollar Tree acquired for $9 billion in 2015, has struggled to compete with retail giants like Walmart and Amazon, as well as online disruptors like Shein and Temu. Analysts see the sale as a smart move, lifting a major burden off the company’s finances.

Despite this shake-up, Dollar Tree faces ongoing challenges, including inflation-driven shifts in consumer spending and new tariffs impacting costs. Still, the brand expects solid growth in 2025, with budget-conscious shoppers—including middle- and high-income earners—turning to discount stores amid economic pressures. As CEO Mike Creedon put it, “Doesn’t matter how much money you make, everybody is hurting right now.”