# Asian malls lead in dining and entertainment while specialty retail stays strong: Cistri

- **Source:** EdgeProp Singapore
- **Published:** 2026-08-13T05:00:00.000Z
- **Author:** EdgeProp Singapore
- **Original:** https://www.edgeprop.sg/property-news/asian-malls-lead-dining-and-entertainment-while-specialty-retail-stays-strong-cistri
- **Topics:** Commercial & Industrial, Government & Policy, Regional Markets

## Featured rationale

This diversified tenant mix signals resilience against online competition and may support visitation, dwell time and landlord performance without sacrificing specialty-retail depth.

## AI summary

Asian malls allocate 38% of occupied GLA to in-centre consumption and 44% to specialty stores, versus surveyed global averages of 28% and 30%-35% in Western markets.

## Original article

The rise of online shopping has not emptied Asian malls of retail. Instead, the region’s largest shopping centres are evolving into more densely layered destinations, combining a greater concentration of specialty shops with more restaurants, entertainment and other activities designed to keep visitors around longer.

That is one of the key findings of urban consultancy Cistri’s August 2026 report, The Changing Face of Malls Globally, which examines 70 super and mega regional malls across Australia, Asia, the Middle East, the US, Canada and the UK. The sample includes 16 malls in Asia and covers 11.4 million sq m (122.7 million sq ft) of gross leasable area (GLA).

Asia has the highest proportion of mall space devoted to what Cistri calls “in-centre consumption” — encompassing F&B, retail services, entertainment and other non-retail uses. These account for 38% of occupied GLA in Asian malls, compared with an average of 28% across the malls surveyed.

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Yet retail remains a major part of the mix. Specialty stores account for 44% of occupied mall GLA in Asia, considerably higher than the 30% to 35% seen in North America and the UK.

The combination highlights how Asian malls differ from those in some Western markets. Rather than simply substituting retail space with restaurants and entertainment, they retain a deep and diverse specialty retail offering while devoting significant space to activities that are less susceptible to online competition.

The study compares the composition of leading malls today with Cistri’s previous survey in 2018, capturing how online retail, changing consumer expectations and greater demand for experiences have reshaped the traditional shopping-centre model.

Rise of F&B

One of the clearest beneficiaries has been F&B.

Across the malls surveyed, F&B’s share of occupied floor space has risen to an average 10% in 2026 from 8% in 2018. Asia stands well above that level, with F&B taking up 17% of occupied GLA — the highest among the six markets surveyed. The UK follows at 13%, while the Middle East is at 10%.

Restaurants are also increasingly being positioned as part of a mall’s broader leisure offering rather than simply another tenant category. Owners are creating themed dining precincts and more distinctive food experiences to drive visitation and encourage longer stays.

Entertainment is playing a similar role. It accounts for 14% of occupied mall floor space in both Asia and the Middle East, the highest among the markets surveyed, followed by the US at 13%. Cistri says mall owners are using entertainment to broaden their appeal, drive visitation and encourage longer dwell times.

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Mini-majors take on bigger anchor role

The changes are taking place against a longer-term decline in the traditional anchor tenant.

Across the sample, large retail majors now occupy an average of 29% of occupied mall GLA, down from 36% in 2018. Their share is just 20% in Asia, compared with 39% in Australia, 36% in the UK and 35% in the US.

Department stores have also retreated sharply. Their average share of occupied GLA has fallen to 17% from 29% in 2018, with Cistri noting that the decline has been particularly pronounced in North America as major chains rationalised their networks or exited altogether.

Mall owners have responded by breaking up former department-store boxes into smaller units. Some have gone further by converting the spaces into non-retail uses such as offices or residential accommodation. In Australia, Cistri says subdividing former department-store space has generally led to a marked improvement in overall centre performance.

Taking on a greater anchoring role are mini-majors — retailers occupying between 930 sq m (10,000 sq ft) and 4,650 sq m (50,000 sq ft). Their share of occupied mall GLA across the sample has risen to an average 21% from 16% in 2018. Canada has the highest proportion at 27%, followed by the Middle East at 25% and the US at 22%. Asia stands at 18%.

The shift suggests that malls are becoming less dependent on a single large tenant to generate traffic. Instead, mini-majors, smaller specialty retailers, dining and entertainment precincts can collectively perform the anchoring role once dominated by department stores.

Asia, however, continues to stand out for the depth of its specialty retail offerings.

Specialty stores average just 140 sq m in Asia, about half the 290 sq m average in the UK and 260 sq m in the US. Cistri says the difference reflects contrasting leasing strategies: Asia’s malls tend to prioritise a wider range and greater variety of retailers, while Western centres generally favour fewer, larger-format stores.

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Malls evolve into multi-purpose community hubs

At the same time, malls are expanding beyond shopping, dining and entertainment into functions that were once less commonly associated with major retail centres.

Medical services, fitness operators, education providers, childcare facilities and offices — including co-working spaces — are increasingly being incorporated into malls.

Such uses account for an average 4% of occupied space across the study, with Australia leading at 7%, while Asia, Canada and the Middle East each allocate 5%.

Their appeal to landlords is partly the regular traffic they generate. Cistri says these tenants support retail performance by bringing consistent visitation to malls throughout the week.

Cistri sees this as part of a broader transition from shopping centres into multi-purpose community destinations — integrated hubs incorporating retail, services and other uses rather than places built primarily around shopping.

For Asian malls, the shift towards more experience-led destinations has not meant abandoning retail. Instead, the emerging model is one of greater variety: a high concentration of smaller specialty retailers alongside more dining, entertainment and everyday services.

## Chinese translation

> Translation model: grok_cli

### Cistri：亚洲商场在餐饮与娱乐方面领先，特色零售依然强劲

新一代商场围绕多样性打造，将零售与餐饮、休闲及社区导向服务融合。

网购兴起并未抽空亚洲商场的零售。相反，区内最大购物中心正演变成层次更密的目的地，在更高密度特色商店之外，加入更多餐厅、娱乐及其他旨在让访客停留更久的活动。

这是城市咨询公司Cistri 2026年8月报告《全球商场面貌之变》（The Changing Face of Malls Globally）的关键发现之一。该报告审视澳大利亚、亚洲、中东、美国、加拿大及英国共70座超级及超大区域商场。样本包括16座亚洲商场，覆盖1140万平方米（1.227亿平方英尺）可出租总面积（GLA）。

亚洲商场将最高比例的商场空间用于Cistri所称的“场内消费”——涵盖餐饮（F&B）、零售服务、娱乐及其他非零售用途。这些用途占亚洲商场已占用GLA的38%，而受访商场平均为28%。

延伸阅读：CICT净物业收入升8.7%；租金续约调整办公为6.5%、零售为4%，均为正值

不过零售仍是组合中的重要部分。特色商店占亚洲商场已占用GLA的44%，明显高于北美及英国所见的30%至35%。

这一组合凸显亚洲商场与部分西方市场的差异。它们并非简单以餐厅和娱乐取代零售空间，而是在保留深厚且多元的特色零售供给的同时，将可观空间用于较不受网购冲击的活动。

研究将当今领先商场的业态构成，与Cistri 2018年的前一次调查进行比较，捕捉网购、消费预期变化以及对体验需求上升如何重塑传统购物中心模式。

餐饮崛起

最明显的受益者之一是餐饮。

在受访商场中，餐饮占已占用楼面的份额已从2018年的8%升至2026年平均10%。亚洲远高于该水平，餐饮占已占用GLA的17%，为六个受访市场中最高。英国以13%紧随其后，中东为10%。

餐厅也越来越多被定位为商场更广泛休闲供给的一部分，而不只是另一类租户。业主正打造主题餐饮街区及更具辨识度的美食体验，以带动客流并鼓励更长停留。

娱乐扮演类似角色。在亚洲和中东，娱乐占商场已占用楼面的14%，为受访市场最高，美国以13%次之。Cistri表示，商场业主正利用娱乐扩大吸引力、带动到访并延长停留时间。

延伸阅读：丹戎加东学生宿舍及餐厅大楼以新币2380万求售

迷你主力店承担更大锚定角色

这些变化发生在传统主力租户长期衰退的背景下。

在整个样本中，大型零售主力店现平均占商场已占用GLA的29%，低于2018年的36%。亚洲仅占20%，而澳大利亚为39%、英国36%、美国35%。

百货公司也大幅退场。其占已占用GLA的平均份额已从2018年的29%降至17%。Cistri指出，随着主要连锁精简网络或彻底退出，北美的下降尤为显著。

商场业主的应对是将前百货公司大盒子拆成较小单位。有些更进一步，将空间转为办公或住宅等非零售用途。Cistri表示，在澳大利亚，拆分前百货空间通常会显著改善购物中心整体表现。

承担更大锚定角色的是迷你主力店——占用面积介于930平方米（1万平方英尺）至4650平方米（5万平方英尺）的零售商。其在样本中占商场已占用GLA的份额已从2018年的16%升至平均21%。加拿大比例最高，为27%，中东25%，美国22%。亚洲为18%。

这一转变表明，商场正减少依赖单一大型租户来制造人流。取而代之，迷你主力店、较小特色零售商、餐饮与娱乐街区可共同承担曾由百货公司主导的锚定角色。

不过，亚洲仍以其特色零售供给的深度脱颖而出。

亚洲特色商店平均面积仅140平方米，约为英国平均290平方米及美国260平方米的一半。Cistri表示，差异反映出租策略不同：亚洲商场倾向于优先引入更广范围、更多样的零售商，而西方商场通常偏好数量更少、面积更大的店铺。

延伸阅读：丰树置地（Frasers Property）将把奖励计划与职总平价（NTUC Link）及壳牌（Shell）打通，涵盖杂货、电动车充电等

商场演变成多功能社区枢纽

与此同时，商场正超越购物、餐饮与娱乐，扩展到过去较少与大型零售中心挂钩的功能。

医疗服务、健身运营商、教育提供者、托儿设施及办公室——包括共享办公空间——正越来越多被纳入商场。

此类用途平均占研究中已占用空间的4%，澳大利亚以7%领先，亚洲、加拿大及中东各占5%。

其对业主的吸引力部分在于所带来的稳定人流。Cistri表示，这些租户通过在整周持续为商场带来到访，支撑零售表现。

Cistri视此为从购物中心迈向多功能社区目的地的更广泛转型——即整合零售、服务及其他用途的综合枢纽，而非主要以购物为中心建造的场所。

对亚洲商场而言，转向更偏体验导向的目的地，并不意味着放弃零售。相反，正在成形的模式是更大的多样性：高密度的较小特色零售商，叠加更多餐饮、娱乐及日常服务。