Year-over-year foot traffic grew 5.6 percent at open-air shopping centers in September, followed by 5.5 percent at indoor malls and 4.1 percent at outlet malls, according to the September 2026 Placer.ai Mall Index.
The strong September was partly due to the calendar, as Labor Day fell on Monday, Sept. 7, 2026, placing the full three-day holiday weekend in September. In 2025, the Saturday and Sunday fell in August.
Both indoor malls and open-air shopping centers saw year-over-year increases in visits during Labor Day weekend, while outlet malls recorded a decline in foot traffic. Visits were down 5.7 percent year over year on Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 5 and 6, and down 5.1 percent on Monday, Sept. 7.
“September’s data points to a mall sector that is holding up well against substantial headwinds,” the report said, calling it “a healthy sign as retailers prepar
