The Short Version

• Shopping centers are using specialty leasing to activate underused spaces with creative, high-impact retail experiences.
• Dessert pop-ups and vending concepts earned Gold in the 2025 ICSC Visual Victories Awards for transforming vacant spaces into guest-friendly destinations.
• Automated retail and short-term leases offer scalable, low-cost ways to boost foot traffic and tenant mix.
• Local leasing and marketing teams drive success by tailoring pop-up retail to their centers’ audiences and promoting them through digital channels.
• Temporary retail activations build brand awareness and often lead to long-term leasing opportunities.

Even in the most successful shopping centers, empty or underutilized spaces occasionally emerge. Specialty leasing teams view those areas as opportunities to flex their creative muscles, bringing in fresh ideas and uses that enhance the guest experience, boost sales and, in some cases, earn industry recognition through programs like ICSC’s Visual Victories Awards.

Three of this year’s Gold-winners have something sweet in common: Each one transformed a temporary or underused space with a dessert-focused concept that engaged visitors and brought a playful visual element to the property. These temporary activations illustrate that even small or awkward spaces can become high-impact destinations when paired with the right concept and execution.

“The trend that we’re seeing overall is anything to do with customer experience,” said Jennifer Thomas, senior director of national specialty leasing at Morguard Investments. “Customers and retailers are looking for these unique experiences, and shopping centers are the perfect venues to host them.”

Revitalizing Dead Zones With Activations

At Londonderry in Edmonton, Alberta, for example, an engaging cotton candy and popcorn activation transformed a blank construction wall with a colorful wrap, music and machines with engaging digital displays. The activated space bridged the mall’s new food court and its apparel retailers. “It was challenging not to have something there as people go from the fashion, lose the vibrancy and momentum, and then pick it up again at the food court or vice versa,” said Olga McGonigal, specialty leasing manager for mall owner Leyad.

Making the Most of Small Spaces With Automated Retail

While filling a 100- to 200-square-foot space may not top a center’s priority list, vending offers a quick, low-effort way to bring underutilized areas to life. Instead of simple thank-you-for-shopping graphics, these units introduce interactive experiences and generate additional revenue in the process. “We just do anything we can to make those spaces part of the landscape, so it fits into the visual presentation and also offers another activity, another stop or another picture-perfect spot,” said McGonigal.

The product on offer also allows the property to complete its tenant roster. If the property doesn’t already have a certain kind of restaurant or beverage offering, “we can bring that in vending form to enhance the center’s retail mix,” McGonigal explained. For instance, one of the newest additions to Londonderry is an automated floral shop where customers can purchase fresh flower bouquets and arrangements. The vending machine can also be stocked for special occasions and holidays like Mother’s Day.

Vending Is More Than a Space Filler

Leasing teams are leaning into vending options to activate hard-to-fill spaces in ways beyond the soda machines, photo booths and kiddie rides of the past. “We’ve really seen vending become elevated, and it’s now becoming more of a destination,” said Morguard’s Thomas.

The company introduced a Sweet Spot Barbe à Papa cotton candy vending activation near the Toys R Us in its St. Laurent in Ottawa. “Having something that was eye-catching, self-managed, unique and purposeful was really what we were targeting,” said Amy Rozario, general manager at St. Laurent.

Local Teams Know What Works — and What Doesn’t

Specialty leasing is often a grassroots effort that starts with the local leasing and marketing teams. Those are the people who really know the property and its consumer base, and they use that knowledge to identify the right fit. “What works at Broward Mall in Florida may not work at Colonie Center in Albany, [New York],” said Cindy Czech, executive vice president of local leasing and business development at Pacific Retail Capital Partners. The company’s local teams have autonomy to create activations and promotions that resonate with each community’s preferences.

After securing a temporary tenant, the local Pacific Retail leasing team loops in the local marketing team to learn the business owner’s story and collaborate on key messaging. That partnership might lead to a behind-the-scenes “sneak peek” for shoppers as the space is coming together, for example. Such efforts drum up excitement for what’s coming to the center, said Marissa McCarren, vice president of marketing at Pacific Retail.

Strategic Marketing From Tenant Launch to Loyalty

Pacific Retail brought milkshake concept Milky Moo to Plantation, Florida’s Broward Mall. The Brazil-based brand chose the mall for its first U.S. location, prompting Pacific Retail’s local marketing team to focus on brand awareness. “We really have that ability to run a vast array of marketing campaigns and strategies before [such tenants] even open and … to tell their story from start to finish,” said McCarren. For example, Milky Moo is known for its over-the-top milkshakes and playful design, so a selfie wall encourages customer photos and drives social sharing.

Building Buzz for New Tenants Through Marketing

Milky Moo’s launch showcased thoughtful marketing that amplify the fresh energy and excitement a new retailer brings to a property. “We want to focus on driving awareness through our social media channels, signage and integrating them into broader campaigns or activations,” said McCarren. This kind of exposure can be a game changer, especially for operators launching their first brick-and-mortar spaces, she added.

Specialty leasing teams also evaluate prospective tenants’ social media presences as part of their due diligence, and many shopping centers favor those retailers and brands that already have strong online engagement. At the same time, those fans need to be told when their favorites open physical locations. “Some of these retailers we partner with can have 10,000 followers, but they may not know the retailer is in our shopping center,” said Thomas. The local team collaborates with tenants on promotions like free samples and on property-level marketing efforts like signage, the mall’s social media videos and influencer collaborations.

From Pop-Up to Permanent: Nurturing Long-Term Potential

Leasing teams choose tenants, whether temporary or permanent, that both will be good partners and will complement, not compete with permanent retailers. A temporary activation shouldn’t simply fill the space, advised Czech. “If a concept is brought to our attention and we feel that it doesn’t elevate the shopping center and it doesn’t fit, we won’t do it.”

It’s also essential to understand which uses are best suited for specific locations. A space near center court naturally benefits from higher foot traffic, while a remote location may require destination-worthy programming or extra marketing support to attract visitors, noted Czech.

Often, the goal is for a temporary tenant to transition into a permanent one. After all, every major retailer started with just one location. “There’s all these amazing stories that are grassroots,” Czech pointed out, “and that’s really what we’re incubating.”