According to Perreault, Cannon, & McCarthy (2021) from the course textbooks Video Instructors Manual, this video focuses on the current problems of suburban regional and superregional shopping centers. Southdale Center located in suburban Minneapolis is considered to be the prototype for most of the suburban regional and superregional shopping malls built during the second half of the twentieth century. Southdale opened in 1956 and featured 70 retail tenants in an 800,000 square foot enclosed, climate-controlled mall, anchored by two department stores.

The suburban regional shopping mall and their department store anchors enjoyed great success for almost 50 years. However, in the final decade of the twentieth century, they began to experience problems: competition (direct and indirect), industry overcapacity (retail space), a decline of the department store, and changes in shopping behavior. Strategies for turning around regional and superregional shopping centers include renovation, re-tenanting, entertainment, and zonal merchandising. The need to create an appealing, exciting shopping center that stimulates social activity is the key to revitalizing traditional malls. However, some suburban regional shopping centers will not survive. In fact, some have already been decommissioned. At the end of the segment, Rolling Acres Mall in Akron, OH, is shown as an example of a shopping center in trouble.

The video features interviews with several shopping center developers: Yaromir Steiner, CEO of Steiner & Associates, Bob Gorman, CSM, Area Manager of Greenwood Park Mall, Simon Property Group, Les Morris, Manager, Corporate Public Relations, Simon Property Group, Mike Leonard, COO. The Hogan Group, and Glen Hogan, President/CEO, The Hogan Group (Perreault, Cannon, & McCarthy, 2021).

For this case study, you will need to address the following:

• Please select a specific, struggling suburban regional shopping mall. Then, imagine yourself as the marketing manager of that mall. Please prepare a SWOT analysis of the mall. Based on the SWOT analysis and the needs of the target market, please recommend a superior strategy to senior management that will improve the mall's performance. Please explain how your strategy will capitalize on strengths and opportunities while minimizing weaknesses and threats.