Pickleball Courts Could Be in Malls Soon

Taylor Dyer

May 20, 2023

America’s fastest-growing sport could be heading to a mall near you. Pickleball courts are expected to replace Bed Bath & Beyond, Old Navy, and Saks Off 5th stores. 

It could seem like an odd change, but there are benefits for both sides. Pickleball courts could attract more people to malls that had otherwise lost visitors in recent years. Visitor rates have trended downward recently due to the Covid-19 pandemic, although they are trending back upward now that the global emergency has ended, albeit slowly.  

Adding pickleball courts could attract a different crowd and encourage people to get more active. It is unlikely that people are looking to participate in exercise at the mall, but when the opportunity is right there, it could be hard to pass up due to convenience. 

Pickleball supporters are looking to feed off of the growing popularity of the sport and are looking to find vacant spaces to build courts. The game combines many elements of badminton, ping-pong, and tennis, and it is played on a badminton-sized court using a slightly modified tennis net. 

Could this be Feasible?

Pickleball Courts have been popping up recently at hotels, retirement communities, and recreation centers. The challenge is balancing competing interests with limited funds. 

That is what makes building pickleball courts in malls so desirable. Changing the types of activities on offer in malls is not new. Virtual golf and skydiving have been added to malls recently to lure shoppers. These types of tactics have been introduced to attract newer and younger shoppers in the past and encourage them to spend more time and money at outlets. 

One reason malls appear to be a good place for pickleball courts is the fact that people would be able to play year-round. It is also easy to set up and break down a pickleball court, making it easy to move if the mall rearranges store locations. 

Adding pickleball courts will surely attract a different type of shopper to malls. It could attract people who may not typically shop at malls and are just looking for places to play pickleball, encouraging them to spend money in food establishments after their matches.

Edited By: Yasmin

Tags: America space communities public money courts centers Pickleball shoppers rec malls outlets customers

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