Americans Agree Their Local Shopping Centers and Malls Are Focal Points of Their Communities and Solid Community Partners, a New Study by the International Council of Shopping Centers Shows

    NEW YORK, April 19 /PRNewswire/ -- A new survey by the International
 Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) conducted as part of the celebration
 marking the association's 50th Anniversary, shows that the local shopping
 center or mall is viewed as a focal point of the community and a good
 community partner in the minds of a majority of Americans. The survey found
 that people see their local mall or shopping center as more than simply a
 place to shop, viewing these "lifestyle" centers as gathering places that
 have worked hard to weave themselves into the fabric of the communities
 they serve. The Survey explored the impressions of 1000+ Americans 18 and
 over asking them a series of questions about their feelings concerning
 their local shopping center or mall and was conducted by Opinion Research
 Corporation as part of their Caravan(R) Study.
     Founded in 1957 and celebrating its 50th Anniversary, ICSC is the
 global retail real estate trade association for the shopping center
 industry. With more than 68,000 members in the United States, Canada and 92
 other countries, the association represents shopping center owners,
 developers and managers as well as marketing specialists, investors,
 lenders, retailers and public officials. ICSC develops educational
 programs, provides research, publishes economic impact findings and
 statistics and holds meetings and conventions that help its members, the
 media, academics and the public learn more and better understand the
 industry. The ICSC will hold its annual convention this year in Las Vegas,
 May 20-23.
     Survey Findings
     Overall, 53% of respondents said they felt their favorite shopping
 center had a somewhat to very favorable impact on their lives with almost
 two-thirds of women responding affirmatively and a surprising 44% of men
 agreeing. Further, a consistent majority across all age, regional, race,
 income and education categories felt the same, that their local shopping
 center or mall was at least a somewhat to very favorable factor in their
 lives.
     Most revealing was the strong response demonstrated when respondents
 were asked a series of questions about shopping centers and malls as good
 community partners and as gathering and meeting places. For example, when
 asked if the local shopping center or mall tries to bond with the community
 and be a respected community partner, almost two-thirds of respondents
 (64%) said they agreed somewhat to very much with that statement. A
 similarly strong two- thirds (64%) said they agreed that their local
 shopping center or mall is an important part of their community. Further,
 more than half of the respondents agreed that their shopping center or mall
 is a focal point of the community and a place that's become a part of the
 fabric of the community.
     One of the key surprises in the ICSC 50th Anniversary Survey was the
 similarities between men and women. Conventional wisdom would have
 predicted women to be more likely to have a stronger impression of, and
 feelings toward, their local shopping center or mall but the 50th
 Anniversary Survey indicated their feelings to be about equal. In virtually
 all circumstances explored, men showed an equally favorable impression of
 their local shopping center or mall as a positive in the community and a
 good partner. In fact, when asked whether they felt their local shopping
 center or mall is a meeting or gathering place for them and their family,
 about one-third of men (32%) and the same one-third of women (32%)
 responded they agreed at least somewhat with that statement.
     "The industry and Association recognizes the responsibilities our
 shopping centers and malls have in the communities we serve and it has been
 our mission to reach-out and involve ourselves as active partners whenever
 possible," said ICSC President and CEO Michael P. Kercheval. "We are
 celebrating fifty-years as an association that has tried to educate members
 and make positive contributions to the economic and social fabric of the
 communities where our members do business. The ICSC 50th Anniversary Survey
 demonstrates that people feel pretty good about the centers they frequent
 and that the local shopping center or mall has taken on a larger presence
 as a meeting place and good community partner and the industry can feel
 particularly proud of that."
     About the Survey
     This report presents the findings of a telephone survey conducted among
 approximately 1000+ Americans identified through a national probability
 sample of adults comprising 512 men and 518 women 18 years of age and
 older, living in private households in the continental United States.
 Interviewing for this CARAVAN(R) Survey was completed during the period
 April 5-7, 2007.
     For additional information about the Survey and the 50th Anniversary of
 the International Council of Shopping Centers, and to speak with an ICSC
 official, please contact Shep Doniger at 561-637-5750 or
 sdoniger@bdcginc.com. For more information about the International Council
 of Shopping Centers, please visit http://www.icsc.org.
 
 

SOURCE International Council of Shopping Centers