The Wall Street Journalreports that the weak economy has some mall retail chains seeking to downsize their retail space. A couple of the retailers looking to shrink include Ann Taylor and the Gap.
"During the '90s era, everybody wanted a bigger box," says Kay Krill, AnnTaylor's chief executive. "Now, all of us are trying to get out of those bigger boxes."
Ms. Krill says she is shrinking square footage at AnnTaylor's new namesake stores by a third. Her reasoning: "I like productivity."
The article says Gap, Inc. is looking to consolidate in malls where it has multiple store formats, such as a GapKids as well as a regular Gap store. There are likely some intense negotations going on at malls nationwide. Mall shoppers should expect some stores to move to different parts of the mall as retailers seek smaller spaces over the next couple years.
The Wall Street Journal 
