The operators of Providence Place mall are requiring teens to be accompanied by adults after 5 p.m., but some observers are divided over whether the bid to increase the perception of safety and order in the urban complex will pay off in the long run.
The policy barring youths under the age of 18 during school hours and after 5 p.m. every day unless they are with an adult was instituted on March 24 by the court-appointed receivers who took control of the mall last year after the previous owners defaulted on a $259 million debt.
The shopping center has sometimes been dogged by the public perception as a place of juvenile crime and disruptive behavior. The new policy is an effort to "revitalize [the mall], attract new tenants and enhance the ... visitor experience," receiver John Dorsey said in a statement announcing new security measures.
But Stephanie Boyer, a marketing professor at Bryant University, believes it may prove costly because the new policy strikes at a demographic that makes up a large portion of mall shoppers.
“I don’t think it's economically in their favor [to ban unsupervised teens],” said Boyer. “The revenue impact is obviously going to be seen with retailers that cater to the youth, but I’m also thinking about the impact on their attitude. Suddenly, the mall just became a lot less cool for young people if they need an adult to be there with them.”
"Maybe it will lead to a safer mall, but in this case, that means an emptier mall," she added. "Do they really want to make that exchange?”
The receivers, Dorsey and fellow attorney W. Mark Russo, have said that the plan is to eventually sell Providence Place. Ahead of that, they have taken steps to shore up the mall's finances, improve maintenance and better focus on keeping the mall clean.
Dallas-based Centennial Real Estate Management LLC was hired in November to handle the property management.
Still, there are stiff headwinds for Providence Place and malls in general, as shopping habits have shifted toward online commerce and away from brick-and-mortar stores.
While the 1.3 million-square-foot mall still has more than 170 tenants, many of the higher-end retailers have left over the years, including anchor Nordstrom Inc., as well as Williams-Sonoma, Pottery Barn, Crate & Barrel and Restoration Hardware.
Efforts to reach the mall’s receivers for comment went unanswered. But because the long-term prospects of malls are uncertain, finding a buyer willing to pay a reasonable price for Providence Place may not be easy.
In the meantime, the mall’s new “Youth Guidance Program,” which includes the ban on unsupervised minors after 5 p.m., is amongst several updated security measures that the receivers are implementing to address concerns.
Its updated code of conduct also prohibits “unsafe” activities, including “horseplay” and running, seemingly in direct response to unruly, unsupervised teens.
At Providence City Hall, Mayor Brett P. Smiley is not in support of banning unsupervised minors after 5 p.m. at Providence Place. “The city does not see the restrictions on youth as necessary,” said Samara Pinto, the mayor's press secretary. "The mayor feels that increasing private security and enhancing partnerships with the Providence Police Department will assist in addressing safety concerns while maintaining a positive experience for shoppers and retailers."
But Timothy Howes, finance and economics professor at Johnson & Wales University, said the receivers must have seen a financial benefit in implementing the new policy, whether consumers' fear of young people running wild at the mall is based on reality or not.
Indeed, Sukki Yoon, another marketing professor at Bryant, said there is, of course, financial value in cultivating a secure shopping environment.
“If shoppers think that [it's] unsafe, even if that perception is based on a few isolated incidents, it can significantly reduce foot traffic,” Yoon said. “Word of mouth, especially on social media, can amplify this negative perception and heighten anxiety, particularly among families with children and elderly citizens. The end result is that these groups may choose to avoid the space altogether.”
Instead, Bower said, teens may avoid the space, leading to longer-term issues for retail centers.
“These kids are just now forming their relationships with consumerism,” Boyer said. “Maybe they don’t spend a lot of money now, but if they go regularly, they probably are spending a decent amount of money over time.”
Howes agreed.
“If the mall developed that relationship [with youths] right, they would have these customers for a long period of time,” Howes said.
Emptier is an irrelevant characteristic of the mall because those people who are now banned contributed nothing to the mail and whose purchase dollars couldn’t fill a thimble. They added chaos and drove away bona fide shoppers. They won’t be missed, Once again when you violate your privilege and the enjoyment that comes will a free society, then you deserve to have those rights strip away. Unfortunately, all are affected in this new scenario. Much like we lost our freedom to board planes unimpeded due the terrorist behavior of a few who took advantage by hijacking planes and flying them into buildings.