U.S. shopping malls recorded year-over-year increases in foot traffic across all three major retail formats in September, supported in part by the timing of Labor Day weekend, according to Placer.ai’s “September 2026 Mall Index.”
Open-air shopping centers led with a 5.6 percent increase in visits compared with September 2025, extending their year-over-year growth streak throughout 2026. Indoor malls followed with a 5.5 percent increase, narrowing the performance gap with open-air centers to its smallest margin of the year. Outlet malls recorded a 4.1 percent increase, rebounding from an August decline and posting their strongest performance since February.
The gains came despite economic pressures, including rising gasoline prices and weakening consumer sentiment. However, the timing of Labor Day contributed to September’s performance. The full three-
