Shopping Center Statistics

Retail sales headed upward in July, which is good news for shopping centers and other retail outlets in communities across America. This is good news for states that rely to a high degree on retail sales tax revenues as well.

As the economy continues to improve, let's take a look at the scope of the shopping center industry across the nation. These are figures for end of the year 2002:

- In 2002, according to the National Research Bureau, there were a total of 46,336 shopping centers in the United States. This total increased by 1.3% from 45,723 shopping centers in 2001.

-The total leasable retail area of U.S. shopping centers was 5.77 billion square feet in 2002, an increase of 1.6% from 5.68 billion square feet in 2001.

- Retail sales in shopping centers increased 4.2% in 2002 to $1.23 trillion from $1.18 trillion in 2001, representing 49% of total retail sales in the United States, excluding sales of automotive dealers and gas stations.

- In a typical month, 201 million adults shop at shopping centers -- 94% of the population over 18 years of age.

- Retail sales in shopping centers generated $53.1 billion in state sales tax revenue in 2001, an increase of $2.7 billion from 2001.
- Over 10 million people are employed in shopping centers, or about 8% of the nonfarm employees in the United States.

Source: International Council of Shopping Centers