It was green arrows for Q1 traffic at indoor and outlet malls and open-air shopping centers despite some March dips, according to Placer.ai’s Mall Index, which found indoor visits increased 2.2% year-over-year, open-air led with a +5.1% result, and outlets ticked up 1.4%. Placer’s index uses data from 100 locations in each category, both in urban and suburban areas.

Stronger edge hours—before 11 a.m. and after 8 p.m.—were the main drivers for the quarter. However, with midday hours making up the core of indoor and outlet traffic, the softer edge gains in ... Log in to view full article.