FAMOUS pROpERTIES
SHOP BY SIzE The Mall of America has transformed the
shopping experience and catapulted Minnesota into the spotlight
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MALL OF AMERICA
The minute you step inside the Mall of America
in Bloomington, Minn., you’ll quickly realize
this not your typical shopping experience. In
fact, there is nothing typical about this shopping
and entertainment hotspot. The mall attracts
40 million visitors a year, with four out of 10 of
those visitors being tourists. That’s right, tourists. The largest mall in the United States has
become a bona fide tourist destination both
domestically and internationally and has transformed the American shopping mall experience.
The mall has 520 stores, 4. 3 miles of total
storefront footage, an indoor theme park, and
hosts more than 350 events a year. The secret to
the mall’s success is diversity; catering to a wide
range of customers and tenants.
“There is something for everyone here,
whether you have $1 or $1,000 to spend,” said
Maureen Bausch, executive vice president of
business development at the Mall of America.
“We’re more of an attraction, not a mall.”
This attraction has helped to propel the image
of Minnesota into the spotlight, as well.
“No one thought of Minnesota for shopping
and fashion,” said Bausch. “It was all woods,
lakes and wildlife, which we still have. We have
great fishing and great golfing, but now you can
look good doing it.”
Further, the mall has had a significant eco-
nomic impact, generating about $2 billion annu-
ally for the region. According to Bausch, if you
poll people who come to Minnesota beyond 150
miles, 50 percent of the reason they are there is
to visit the Mall of America.
