By Yvette Elliott, Mall Maverick
Shopping centers stand at a historic inflection point where generative AI technology creates unprecedented opportunities for reinvention around product discovery.
We’re living through one of those rare moments in retail history — the kind that comes around once every lifetime. Shopping malls find themselves at an extraordinary inflection point where generative artificial intelligence isn’t just changing how people shop; it’s fundamentally reshaping who controls the shopping discovery journey.
And here’s the thing most people are missing: Malls actually have the tools to win this battle.
The Trust Revolution Happening Right Under Our Noses
Let’s start with something that should make every shopping center marketer sit up and take notice. A recent Mirakl Ads-sponsored report from Emarketer notes that generative AI users are now slightly more likely to prefer generative AI platforms over social media for purchase recommendations — 18% versus 15% for social media, according to data from Accenture Consumer Pulse. Physical stores still lead at 19%, but here’s what’s fascinating: We’re witnessing a real-time shift in consumer trust patterns.
This isn’t just a statistic. It’s a seismic shift. Generative AI is becoming more trusted than social media for shopping guidance. Think about that for a moment. The platforms that have dominated discovery for over a decade are being challenged by AI assistants that didn’t even exist in consumer form three years ago. By 2029, nearly half the US population — 47.4% — will be generative AI users, according to the same report.
These aren’t early adopters anymore; this is mainstream shoppers learning to trust AI for purchase decisions. And for mall operators, this represents the kind of transformational opportunity that doesn’t come around often.
Proof Positive: AI is Already Driving Mall Traffic
The potential isn’t theoretical — Purdue University research proves it works. Using their Generalized Additive Neural Network Model (GANNM) with AI-chip-embedded sensors across 25 malls, researchers demonstrated that AI-driven marketing optimization achieved an 11% improvement in customer traffic compared to traditional approaches.
Crucially, the study revealed that experience-focused campaigns significantly outperformed sales-only incentives in driving foot traffic. “Customer traffic … is strongly correlated with mall revenue and is the main index determining rental prices for tenant stores,” noted Yu Jeffrey Hu, professor and Accenture chair at Purdue University’s Daniels School of Business.
This academic validation confirms what smart mall operators are discovering:
AI doesn’t just optimize operations — it redefines how malls attract and retain shoppers in an increasingly competitive landscape.
Defining the Battlefield: Universal Versus Native Generative AI Assistants
There are two types of generative AI shopping assistants reshaping retail:
• Universal generative AI assistants include ChatGPT, Google’s Gemini, Microsoft’s Copilot and Perplexity. These LLM-powered tools handle everything from answering complex questions to shopping recommendations. They’re becoming the first stop for many consumers beginning their product research journey.
• Native generative AI assistants are specific tools built using LLM technology but are trained on specific information. For retailers this information can be inventory, customer data, event details and brand knowledge. Examples include Amazon’s enhanced search capabilities or Walmart’s upcoming “Sparky” shopping agent. These assistants know specific products, understand customers’ purchase history and provide hyper-personalized recommendations.
The retail media implications are enormous. With more than 60% of retail media ad spend tied to search, according to Emarketer, any shift toward AI-powered discovery threatens the foundation of how retailers currently monetize their digital properties.
The Three-Pillar Strategy for Mall Dominance
Smart shopping centers have a clear path forward, built on three strategic pillars:
1. Optimize for universal AI assistant discovery.
The first move is defensive but crucial. When someone asks ChatGPT or Gemini about shopping options in their area, your mall needs to be part of that conversation. This means deep backend optimization — ensuring your website architecture, content strategy and technical infrastructure are built with AI discoverability in mind.
At Mall Maverick, we’re not just talking about this. We’re actively implementing comprehensive backend platform optimization projects across our network. We’re fortifying sites with AI discovery in mind because we know that being invisible to AI assistants means being invisible to tomorrow’s shoppers.
2. Deploy native generative AI shopping assistants.
Here’s where the real opportunity lies. While individual retailers struggle with the complexity and cost of building sophisticated AI shopping tools, malls have a unique advantage: They can create AI assistants that understand the entire shopping ecosystem of their property.
Imagine a generative AI assistant that knows every store in your mall, understands current promotions across all retailers and can coordinate cross-store experiences and even shopper visit itineraries. This isn’t fantasy — it’s entirely achievable with today’s technology, as evidenced by successful implementations already showing measurable results.
Combined with our Mall Maverick continuous platform optimization, we’re building the foundation for AI assistants that actually help shoppers navigate and discover across your entire digital ecosystem.
3. Accelerate in-mall digital advertising opportunities.
This is where strategic thinking gets really interesting. As brands watch their traditional digital advertising channels get disrupted by AI intermediaries, they’re going to need new places to connect with consumers. Physical locations with high foot traffic but limited AI influence suddenly become very valuable.
Generative AI avoidance behavior — similar to what we’ve seen with Gen Z seeking authentic, unfiltered experiences — creates opportunities for in-mall digital advertising that feels more trustworthy and less algorithmically manipulated.
We’re expanding our promotional digital placement inventory specifically to create more touchpoints for these AI-era experiences.
Learning From the Walmart Playbook
Walmart isn’t just dabbling in generative AI; it’s building an entirely new retail ecosystem around it, as noted in Forbes. Its vision of a “world without search bars” — where AI agents like the company’s upcoming Sparky virtual shopping assistant handle everything from routine orders to complex purchase research — shows us what’s possible when you think beyond traditional e-commerce models.
The lesson for malls? Don’t just adapt to the AI revolution — lead it.
The Comfort Factor: Consumer Adoption Reality
Of course, there’s a reality check here. While generative AI adoption is accelerating, consumer comfort with AI shopping assistance varies. According to an Emarketer forecast, among generative AI users worldwide, roughly two-thirds utilize AI for search functions, and even fewer — only 28.2% — leverage AI for personalized recommendations.
But here’s what matters: These numbers are rising rapidly.
The projection that nearly half the U.S. population will be generative AI users by 2029 isn’t speculation; it’s based on current adoption curves.
Early discomfort with new technology is normal — remember how people felt about mobile payments or even online shopping initially? Smart mall operators are preparing now for the consumer behavior that’s coming, not just responding to what exists today.
Becoming Your Own Generative AI-Proof Retail Media Network
Here’s what’s even more compelling for shopping center operators: Shopping malls have the potential to expand their own retail media networks. According to Emarketer analysis, physical stores represent “the most underdeveloped arena in retail media” and “may be the most critical moat against generative AI encroachment.” Digital retail media in physical locations is an emerging but nascent playing field, with ad spending on in-store retail media making up less than 1% of all retail media ad spending in 2025.
The Purdue study reinforces this opportunity, noting that “sufficient investment in campaigns to raise customer awareness during major online promotion periods could significantly increase customer traffic for malls.” This research suggests that rather than competing directly with e-commerce, malls can actually leverage online promotional periods to drive physical traffic.
Think about what this means for your shopping centers. While everyone else is fighting for digital real estate that’s increasingly controlled by generative AI intermediaries, malls should consider adapting the recommendation Emarketer offers to retailers:
“Accelerate in-store retail media infrastructure as a [generative] AI-proof revenue stream. Expand digital ad inventory in physical locations where [generative] AI assistants have less influence to diversify beyond ecommerce-dependent formats and protect long-term monetization.”
—Emarketer, August 2025
This isn’t just theory — it’s a strategic necessity. As universal generative AI assistants increasingly control online purchase paths, brands need alternative touchpoints in generative AI-resistant environments. Shopping malls provide exactly that: high-traffic environments with sophisticated digital advertising capabilities without AI gatekeepers filtering brand messages.
At Mall Maverick, we’re expanding cross-channel digital promotion placement opportunities that give malls and their brands direct access where universal generative AI assistants can’t intercept the discovery journey.
The Once-in-a-Lifetime Moment
Real transformation opportunities don’t come along often in retail. The shift from catalog to store. The rise of enclosed malls. The e-commerce revolution. The mobile commerce transformation.
We’re in another one of those moments right now.
Generative AI isn’t just another technology trend — it’s fundamentally changing how people discover and evaluate a brand’s offering. Shopping centers can either be passive victims of this transformation or become the protagonists in their own reinvention story.
The tools exist. The consumer behavior is shifting. The competitive landscape is creating new opportunities for physical retail environments that can bridge digital intelligence with experiential discovery.
The question isn’t whether generative AI will reshape shopping — it’s already happening. The question is whether commercial retail and mixed-use real estate operators will recognize this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reclaim their position as the heart of retail discovery.
Smart operators are already making their moves. The rest better catch up quickly, because in the world of AI-powered commerce, standing still means getting left behind.
About Mall Maverick
Mall Maverick is a digital platform optimization company specializing in generative AI-ready website ecosystems for shopping centers and mixed-use properties. Through comprehensive back-end optimization and cross-channel digital promotion solutions, Mall Maverick helps shopping centers position themselves for discovery in the age of artificial intelligence.
About the Author
Yvette Elliott is a thought leader in digital transformation, professor and COO at Mall Maverick. As a recognized authority on AI and retail technology, Yvette helps business leaders, marketing professionals and technical teams navigate digital disruption with clarity and confidence. Her tagline: “Clarity in a digital world.”