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PickleMALL Breathes New Life Into Vacant Spaces
by DREW WATHEY
The digital age and e-commerce continue to have a major impact on our country ’ s malls and shopping centers , most notably seen in vacant storefronts and a drastic drop in foot traffic .
Those feet though will have a new reason to make their way to a revitalized retail edifice as the business landscape continues to undergo a significant transformation .
“ Picklemall ” is the latest extension of the pickleball craze — what was once a dormant big-box retailer can become a brand-new indoor pickleball facility , satiating the overwhelming desire for more courts .
Fifty Picklemalls are planned to spring up throughout the United States over the next two years . The first one , at Arizona Mills in south Phoenix , recently opened . What was once an At Home store is now a newly renovated 104,000-squarefoot pickleball home , featuring 16 courts with plans to expand to 24 over the next few months .
“ Right now , U . S . malls are struggling to figure out what concepts bring people in and that ’ s where we come in ,” says West Shaw , CEO of Dallas-based Picklemall , who — along with Steve Kuhn , founder of Major League Pickleball — developed the idea . “ We need a lot of space , we need tall ceilings and great lighting , and then we can come into a space like Arizona Mills and bring in 16 to 24 courts .”
Pickleballers can reserve a court through an app , and then Picklemall takes it one step further once you begin playing . On-court cameras will track your play , giving you valuable insight on how to improve your skills at the non-volley zone line , dinking , serving , etc .
For pickleball fanatics ( who are usually most players ), a membership
plan is available — aptly named The Mall Rat . Drop-in play rates at the Arizona Mills location are $ 8-10 per person per hour for doubles .
“ We ’ re building the future of pickleball , and that means bringing the sport to where people already populate ,” adds Kuhn . “ Many were skeptical when , two years ago , I mentioned our aim was to hit 40 million players by 2030 . The rapid growth has surprised even us . We ’ re already nearing that target . The appetite for new courts is becoming insatiable . I ’ m confident that soon the entire country will be echoing our call for more courts .”
So , when your friends or family members say they ’ re going to the mall , you shouldn ’ t necessarily expect a lot of shopping bags coming home with them … unless of course they needed the latest pickleball gear and accessories . •
PHOTO BY BRUCE YEUNG ; IG : @ YEUNGPHOTOGRAPHY
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