Snowboards, Hermes Bags & Angry Birds

Evidently many Americans dream of a luxury goods shopping mall nested within an indoor ski center, an Angry Birds golf course, a Coca-Cola food court, located next to an NFL football stadium in New Jersey.

“In Xanadu did Kubla Khan, A stately pleasure-dome decree…”

“Xanadu,” the on again, off again, vacant amusement shopping mall that filed for bankruptcy protection in 2005, then restarted and abandoned by multiple developers, has now been reimagined, and refunded, as the love-child of Saks Fifth Avenue and Nickelodeon.

This October visitors will be able to purchase a $20,000 Hermes Birkin bag to go with their Coke Slushie and can take these treats snowboarding, indoors.

This new $5 billion shopping, entertainment, sports experience has been renamed, “American Dream,” a 3-million square foot mega-mall located next to Met Life Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

But wait, there’s more… 

In addition to Saks, Barney’s, Hermes and Tiffany, the “Dream” will include over 100 food and restaurant destinations, including "America's first" Kosher Food hall, 16 acres of indoor “family amusement” a Nickelodeon Universe Theme Park, a DreamWorks Water Park, an NHL‐sized skating and ice hockey facility, an Angry Birds 18‐hole "miniature golf experience," and the "Big Snow Ski and Snowboard Park" - proclaimed as North America’s first indoor snow sports center.

Canadian conglomerate Triple Five Group, which owns and operates the two largest shopping centers in North America, West Edmonton Mall and the Mall of America, has taken this project where no developer has gone before, to a scheduled opening date, October 25th.

“We spared no expense…”

In the center of the “Collections” retail arena is a 60-foot fountain that converts into a fashion runway. 

“We know that the community has been eagerly awaiting the launch of this incredible global destination,” said Don Ghermezian, president of American Dream. “We have a one‐of‐a‐kind property that will reshape the way people think about entertainment, theme parks and shopping…” 

From the top of the Ferris wheel, American Dream guests can wave at Hudson Yards, across the Hudson River in Manhattan.

Dream or a nightmare? Time will tell.

(c) David J. Katz, 2019

#retail #RealEstate #fashion #entertainment #businessmodels

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David J. Katz is executive vice president, chief marketing officer and "alchemist-in-residence" at Randa Accessories, an industry-leading multinational consumer products company, and one of the world's leading apparel & accessories businesses. 

His specialty is collaborating with retailers, brands and suppliers to innovate successful outcomes in evolving markets. 

David is one of ten "LinkedIn Top Voices - Retail." He has been named a fashion industry "Change Agent" by Women's Wear Daily, a "Menswear Mover" by MR Magazine, a "Retail Radical" by The Robin Report, a member of the RetailWire "BrainTrust," and a "Top Writer on Innovation and Fashion" at Medium.

He is a public speaker, best-selling author, and has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, CNN, The Business of Fashion, Business Insider, New York Magazine, The Huffington Post, MR Magazine, and WWD.

A graduate of Tufts University and the Harvard Business School, David is a student of neuroscience, business administration, consumer behavior and "stimulus and response." The name Pavlov rings a bell.

ALCHEMY: A science or philosophy that transforms something ordinary into something meaningful, often through mysterious means.