How Entertainment is Shaping the Future of Retail Spaces

The traditional retail anchor is being redefined. Large department stores once dominated most shopping centers. Now, concepts like food halls, upscale restaurants, immersive cinema experiences and gaming venues are taking center stage.

July 25, 2025

📢 Hey, Retailist Roundup readers! As consumer preferences shift and shopping habits evolve, malls and retail centers are rethinking what draws foot traffic. How is the role of the traditional retail anchor evolving in today’s shopping centers?

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The traditional retail anchor is being redefined. Large department stores once dominated most shopping centers. Now, concepts like food halls, upscale restaurants, immersive cinema experiences and gaming venues are taking center stage.

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In the news: Top headlines this week

India accuses Walmart's Myntra of breaching foreign investment rules. India's financial crime agency has found that Walmart-owned Myntra Designs violated laws barring foreign wholesalers from selling directly to consumers. This comes amid increasing scrutiny of e-commerce firms in India, following an earlier antitrust investigation that accused Amazon and Flipkart of favoring select sellers and using predatory pricing—allegations both companies have denied. [Reuters]

Luxury heavyweights struggle to shake off shopper fatigue. LVMH and Kering are expected to post another sales drop, highlighting ongoing weakness in the U.S. and China and raising concerns about a prolonged luxury market slowdown and potential U.S. tariffs.[Reuters]

Trump tariffs, inflation have some parents worried about back-to-school shopping costs. Back-to-school shopping is more financially stressful this year, with rising inflation and new tariffs driving up costs. A Bankrate survey found 20% of shoppers are feeling budget strain, while an Intuit Credit Karma report shows 39% of parents can’t afford supplies and 44% plan to take on debt—up from 34% in 2024. [CNBC]

Apparel, department stores struggling the most under US trade policy, analysis shows. U.S. apparel, footwear, and department store retailers face a challenging outlook due to tariff-heavy trade policies. As existing inventory sells through, rising import duties will squeeze profits, and with limited pricing power, revenue growth is expected to cap at 3%, according to a Moody’s Ratings report, which gave the sector a negative outlook amid a tough consumer environment. [Retail Dive]

Survey: AI usage among small businesses up 41%.AI adoption among small businesses (10–100 employees) has surged, rising from 39% in 2024 to 55% in 2025, according to a Thryv survey. Most users see AI as essential for attracting customers and meeting expectations for speed and personalization, while concerns about data security have dropped 40% year over year. [CSA]

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Retailist Magazine is an outlet focused on modern commerce as it relates to digital innovation. The publication examines our culture’s ever-evolving relationship with marketing, commerce and traditional retail. Our goal is to connect our audience to quality content and award programs for retail brands to tell their story of innovation.

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