This Michigan Mall Is Beating the Odds

Midland — If you’re feeling pessimistic about the survival of shopping malls, who could blame you?

Across Michigan, places that used to be packed with shoppers have more and more empty storefronts every year. There are a few exceptions, of course. The big boys, like Somerset, Great Lakes Crossing, and even Twelve Oaks, still give people plenty of reasons to visit, but walk through your average small-city shopping mall on any given day and it’s easy to think that in-person shopping is dead and buried.

Well, think again. Because there’s one city in Michigan where the mall is doing better than it has in years: Midland.

As of September 2026, every single storefront at the Midland Mall is filled with a permanent tenant.

That’s right, there are 58 spaces at this mall and 58 businesses filling every single one of them. Every retail space, every food court spot, even the arcade space is leased.

The lineup includes 28 retail stores and 18 service or entertainment businesses, with 13 food options throughout, including cafés outside the food court.

So why is this mall thriving while so many others across the state are struggling?

Emma Elmore, a longtime employee at Buckle, thinks it’s the combination of familiar national stores and the many local mom-and-pop shops that have moved in alongside them.

“He’s brought in a lot of small companies, and I personally love that,” she said of mall owner Jordan Dice. “I love the small businesses.”

Dice, who took over in 2023, focused on giving people reasons to come here and stay awhile, rather than just filling it with places to shop.

The mall has a few major anchors, like Target, Dunham’s, Hobby Lobby, and Barnes & Noble, along with other classics like Spencer’s and Maurices. But what makes it special is the mix of local mom-and-pop shops. There are boutiques, a hair salon, and some wonderful candy shops, including St. Laurent Brothers.

The variety extends to the food court, where shoppers can get pizza, burgers, pho, or Egyptian. It’s a big change from what Elmore remembers when she first started working here.

“The food court had maybe two places to eat, and it was definitely very dead,” Elmore said. “There was barely any traffic.”

Another big part of Dice’s strategy was taking on projects that would bring more family entertainment to the mall and make it a community gathering place. The mall’s maintenance coordinator thinks those efforts are a big reason for its success.

“I think people are just happy to see a mall back open,” he said. “And I think they know Jordan’s doing it for the community, and it’s been well received in Midland.”

One of those projects is Malltopia, a five-story indoor playplace that looks way cooler than any playplace I ever had as a kid. The mall regularly holds events that bring people in too, from Comic-Con to holiday activities and its first Renaissance Festival, scheduled for Oct. 17–18.

“Through the week, you have your slow days, but almost every single weekend it’s busy,” Conrad said.

Elmore started working at Buckle around the same time Dice took over, and the difference she’s seen is hard to miss.

“Usually before we wouldn’t have anyone come in really after 5 p.m., but we have people in here till close now,” Elmore said.

I visited on a Monday afternoon, so while it wasn’t packed with shoppers, I can confirm that every single storefront and food court space was occupied. That’s not something you can say about a lot of malls these days.

Elmore said this year’s back-to-school sales were much stronger than the year before, and her manager is already preparing employees for a busy holiday season.

“Our manager has already been like, ‘Okay, guys, don’t take off any time on these days,’” she said.

The Midland Mall isn’t the biggest shopping center in the state, but it’s got just about everything you could need. Whether you want new shoes, the latest bestseller, a bite to eat, or a place for your kids to burn off some energy, there’s a little of everything here.

If you’ve given up on the modern shopping mall as we know it, just know there’s some hope waiting for you in Midland.

Long live the shopping mall.