Arcades once brought foot traffic into malls and entertainment is, once again, becoming important in retailing.
Alongside movie theaters, malls are bringing in skydiving simulators, laser tag, high-tech golf driving ranges, and "escape rooms," the latter of which lets small groups work together to find clues for a way out of a locked area.
Getting people to come in for these attractions means that they are staying longer; even hours longer than they might otherwise. Much like a theme park, some malls are even grouping these attractions together by offering a day pass so that customers can enjoy everything they want.
Even the typical movie theater, now a little long in the tooth as a traffic generator, has been getting a facelift as real-estate investment firms are putting money into new features such as luxury chairs, dinner service, and access to alcoholic beverages.
Services like these allow malls to become much more of a one-stop-shop than they once were as they can satisfy the shopping, entertainment, and food needs of their customers.