Let’s talk profitability. Profitability in GGP's common-area mall retail specifically is not determined by product category alone. It is determined by the relationship between your product's margin profile, the specialty format you operate in, the cost structure of your license agreement, and how well your product intercepts high-footfall physical traffic.
What Makes a Product Work in Specialty Mall Retail
Before looking at specific categories, it is worth understanding the characteristics that tend to drive profitability in a common-area mall environment. Because formats like retail carts, kiosks, and temporary pop-ups rely on immediate visual impact and foot-traffic interception, their margin structures and sales velocity requirements are highly distinct from traditional, permanent inline stores.
High margin relative to price point. Mall retail carries real occupancy costs — rent, staffing, inventory, and additional lease obligations. Products with thin margins require significant volume to cover those costs. Products with strong margins can sustain profitability at lower transaction volumes, which provides more operational resilience, particularly in early-stage activations.
Visual appeal and immediate comprehension. Shoppers in a GGP mall make quick decisions. Products and services that communicate their value quickly — through appearance, demonstration, or a clear and compelling story — tend to convert well. Consider how you can communicate your value proposition clearly and quickly through your kiosk design and staff interactions.
Impulse and discovery potential. Mall retail thrives on discovery. Products that customers were not necessarily seeking but immediately want when they encounter them perform well in high-foot-traffic environments. This is one reason kiosks and carts consistently work for accessory, beauty, and specialty food categories — the purchase decision happens in the moment rather than at the end of a considered research process.
Manageable SKU range. Formats like kiosks and carts offer a focused, curated footprint. Working with a tighter, well-curated assortment can actually be a strength — it keeps your display clean, your story clear, and your operation lean. Your GGP specialty leasing rep can also discuss storage options within the mall if needed.
Product Categories Worth Evaluating for Your GGP Activation
The categories below are great starting points as you think about how to maximize your GGP specialty leasing activation — but they are not a ceiling. Every business is different, and your GGP leasing representative is here to consult with you on how to position your specific concept for the strongest possible outcome. That said, these categories have shown consistently strong performance across GGP's specialty leasing portfolio:
Jewelry and accessories. This category features exceptionally high margins relative to its physical size, low storage requirements, and broad demographic appeal. The visual merchandising potential of jewelry makes it perfectly suited to common-area impulse shopping and discovery.
Beauty and skincare. A consistently strong-performing area within GGP's specialty leasing portfolio. Demonstration-driven purchase behavior and high repeat purchase potential create natural alignment with the kiosk and pop-up format. Profitability depends on your specific business strategy — brands with a focused hero product and a clear in-person demonstration tend to build strong customer connections in this format.
Specialty food and beverage. Consumable products with strong sensory appeal — items that can be smelled, sampled, or beautifully assembled right in front of the customer — thrive in high-dwell mall areas. Because ingredient margins are typically favorable, this category offers strong profitability when paired with an optimized, small-footprint kiosk setup.
Health, wellness, and personal care. Growing consumer interest in self-care has translated into highly profitable short-term activations. Products with a clear, demonstrable benefit and an engaging face-to-face interaction capitalize perfectly on the natural foot traffic of a busy shopping center.
Seasonal and novelty products. Holiday and peak shopping periods create concentrated demand for products tied to gifting and limited-edition concepts. GGP's specialty leasing program allows brands built around seasonal demand to capture maximum revenue during peak traffic windows without the burden of a long-term, year-round lease commitment.
The Format-Product Fit Question
Product category is only part of the equation. The format you operate in must be matched to how your product actually sells.
There are many variables that go into finding the right format for your business — product type, customer behavior, operational capacity, and growth stage all play a role. Your GGP specialty leasing representative can walk you through the options and help you think through what format creates the best conditions for your concept to thrive.
A GGP leasing representative is here to partner and consult with you on growing your business inside the mall environment. The goal is always finding a win-win — a business that we believe will thrive in our mall ecosystem, and a format that sets you up for success from day one.
Profitability Is a System, Not a Category
The most profitable product to sell in a mall is not a single answer. It is the product that combines strong margins, genuine consumer demand, visual merchandising potential, and a format match that keeps your occupancy cost sustainable relative to the revenue your location can realistically generate.
Many retailers find the kiosk store format particularly interesting. To continue learning more on how to be successful in retail, read our article "Setting Your Brand Up for Success in a GGP Mall Kiosk."
Last Updated: August 11, 2026