American Dream Megamall Announces First Shops To Open In Spring

The American Dream megamall in New Jersey is preparing to open a round of retail stores after nearly two decades in waiting.

Mall developer Triple Five Group announced Thursday (Feb. 27) that shops in American Dream will begin to open March 19, according to CNBC.

Some of the brands set to open include Aritzia, Zara, Sephora, H&M, Uniqlo, Primark, Ulta Beauty and Old Navy.

Triple Five Group said there will be other retailers opening their doors at the megamall throughout 2020, with a luxury wing called The Collections set to open in September. There, customers with deeper pockets will find shops like Hermes, Gucci and a Saks Fifth Ave department store to enjoy in their ritzy glory, the developers said.

Barneys New York previously planned to open up a location at the mall, but after the company went bankrupt, the space that had been planned for it has not yet been filled.

Because of blue laws in New Jersey’s Bergen County, the mall’s stores will all have to stay closed on Sunday.

The project’s decades-long timeline has been shaped by changes in the retail landscape in recent years, as the megamall’s 2004 conception came at a time when eCommerce giant Amazon was just getting off the ground. And many retailers that might have planned to come to the mall have gone bankrupt.

American Dream will likely be a mix of 45 percent retail and 55 percent entertainment venues, with the entertainment portions including a Nickelodeon theme park and a NHL-regulation ice skating rink, which opened last fall. There is also an indoor skiing operation which opened over the winter, and a DreamWorks Animation Water Park is set to open soon along with the first wave of retailers.

Triple Five expects around 40 million visitors annually, like the developer sees at Mall of America. The complex, located within miles of downtown Manhattan, is roughly 90 percent leased.

Physical retailers have been struggling as of late with the dominance of eCommerce, but some outlets have tried “experiential” marketing, with things to do besides shopping, which seems to be piquing consumer interests.