Come spend the afternoon at Scottsdale Fashion Square with a local who loves “her” center and is ready to experience what’s new in the redeveloped south wing she’s been hearing so much about.
Fast-forward to 11:34 a.m. on a mid-March Friday in 2024. It’s another perfect, sunny, 72-degree morning in Scottsdale. She pulls her white Tesla into the all-new luxury valet in the south wing to start her adventure.
As she hands her key card to the valet, she looks around and notices that this valet experience at the Nordstrom wing is a lot different: It’s bigger and easier to navigate (7 lanes instead of 4) and it’s wonderfully bright, white and airy.
Related Articles
“Okay – hmmm I feel relaxed already. Is that an agave plant etched onto that new water feature? It’s actually gorgeous.”
You May Also Like
Smiling, she walks up a few steps where she sees welcoming new restaurants with room for a few more flanking the new valet.
“Oh, this is just like the luxury wing near Neimans – great restaurants you can’t find anyplace else in our state, all with outdoor seating, right here at this entrance. I love that. And WOW – that store is really opening in Arizona?! I can’t wait!”
She sees Catch – another big-name new restaurant for Scottsdale and one of her favorites from New York City and Vegas – excited she’s having dinner there tomorrow night with her husband and their new neighbors. But right now, she walks inside the new Élephante and takes in the relaxed, upscale Mediterranean vibe.
“Is it too early for a glass of Sancerre? I don’t think so. If my sister is late for lunch again, I’m starting without her. Oooh definitely getting their whipped eggplant. I did tell her 11:45…”
After lunch (her sister was on time!) she’s ready for some shopping. She heads into the south wing through the rotunda’s two glass doors between Catch and Élephante. She is struck right away by how much has changed since she was last here. She takes it all in.
“Oh, this is so beautiful now. It looks and feels like the luxury wing, with the same timeless gray and white color palette, elegant stone flooring and great seating. And I love the lush plantings…”
Looking up, she notices a magnificent new chandelier. It’s like a piece of art itself. She sees some of the best retail in Arizona, new stores including Sandro, Maje and Zimmermann. And her sister just mentioned that Tiffany & Co. will be undergoing a major renovation in this part of the center this summer. She also notices that the stores themselves are the stars, thanks to clear sightlines and long views.
“So, I guess they moved the elevator? You can really see the storefronts! I think I’ll go to Zimmermann first. I always love their clothes from Neiman and Nordstrom, but I heard they have exclusive merchandise in the new store that’s just for Scottsdale.
Next, I’ll hit Zara – Scottsdale Fashion Square still has the only Zara in Arizona.”
Leaving Zara, she notices the larger presence of Louis Vuitton and that there are now both men’s and women’s stores. She also sees the new Gucci Men’s Store and, across the way, Balenciaga.
“I can’t forget to stop at the new Travis Mathew to get John a golf shirt for his tournament tomorrow. I hear this bigger store also has women’s and kids’ clothes now, too. But I really have to get everything done before pickup…”
Two hours later, she’s got loads of packages and is making her way back to the south wing valet. Just then, Scottsdale Fashion Square’s famous roving concierge comes over and asks if she needs help with her bags. She gratefully accepts. Stepping into her car, she sighs gently realizing she will definitely be on time for school pickup. Driving off, she thinks,
” Wow…what an absolutely fun afternoon. I always love spending time at Scottsdale Fashion Square. And it just keeps getting better and better. “
Executive Spotlight
Q&A with Michael Guerin, Executive Vice President, Leasing, Macerich.
Since we last spoke, what’s new at Scottsdale Fashion Square? Where are the key areas of investment?
There is a great deal of momentum at this exceptional property, which currently posts $1,763 in sales per square foot. Right now, we are redeveloping the south/Nordstrom wing of Scottsdale Fashion Square, to extend the highly successful luxury presentation from the original luxury wing in the north (Neiman Marcus wing) through to this key section to meet market and retailer demand. Major aspects of this current redevelopment at Scottsdale Fashion Square include:
Valet: We are re-making and enlarging the valet area to create a true luxury arrival point – taking the valet from 4 lanes to 7 lanes and in general lightening and brightening this key area, making it airier, as well as adding a refreshing new water feature.
Interior: We’re focused on extending the look and feel of the original luxury wing through to the south wing with new stone flooring, gorgeous new soft seating, and a magnificent new chandelier – that all fits with the aesthetics and color palettes in the original luxury wing. Overall, we’re creating cleaner, better sightlines here that show the retail stores to their best effect by moving an elevator and more.
Dining: Dining is a major focus of the redeveloped south wing, as it was in the original luxury wing, and we’ve already announced two terrific, first-to-market concepts that will flank the enhanced valet area – Élephante and Catch – with space for several more exciting new restaurants here.
Retail: We are very excited to welcome the market’s first and only Maje, Sandro and Zimmermann boutiques. They will be located near Tiffany & Co. and other outstanding luxury and contemporary brands in this wing.
What do shoppers expect from a luxury destination such as Scottsdale Fashion Square and what makes it compelling from a shopping, dining and entertainment perspective?
Our guests want everything: A beautiful, convenient, comfortable “all-in-one” destination that makes spending time at their favorite stores and restaurants a truly pleasurable experience. That means finding world-class brands in every category – from pure luxury and contemporary to emerging/direct to consumer and more They also want an array of upscale amenities and a compelling, abundant menu of dining and entertainment choices they can’t find anyplace else in Arizona – and that’s exactly what we offer. With every phase of redevelopment, Scottsdale Fashion Square brings more inspiration, more relaxation, more ease and more joy to our shoppers.
How do you keep the experience fresh and make shoppers want to return repeatedly?
There’s always something new and exciting to discover at Scottsdale Fashion Square. Often, we’ll bring in top brands that our shoppers already know and love, but in a whole new way – like Zimmermann, which they’ve purchased at Nordstrom, or Catch, where they’ve dined in New York or Las Vegas. We partner with retailers and restaurants to create unique experiences just for Scottsdale Fashion Square, including exclusive merchandise, design elements and menus.
What is the value proposition for brands looking to partner with Scottsdale Fashion Square?
Scottsdale Fashion Square is not only Arizona’s proven, established luxury retail destination, it’s also the most important concentration of retail experiences in the entire market. The world’s top retailers continue to choose this singular property. We bring guests more and more reasons to spend time here with every redevelopment and every new experience we add. We’re consistently investing in Scottsdale Fashion Square, which consistently attracts the region’s best shoppers and, in turn, consistently delivers success for our retail and restaurant partners.
What’s next for Scottsdale Fashion Square? Where are future investments planned?
As the region’s undisputed luxury leader, Scottsdale Fashion Square continues to attract a tremendous variety of the world’s top retailers, restaurants and exciting complementary uses – including an upscale fitness club (Life Time), which opened earlier this year, and the first non-gaming hotel from the famed Caesars brand, Caesars Republic Scottsdale, set to open in 2024.
Macerich is sharply focused on adding value to our best properties, including Scottsdale Fashion Square. For this powerful real estate, the future might include luxury residences, as well as other mixed-use elements comprising our company’s successful densification-diversification strategy.