He states, “The initial few months are full of activity.” Pessano mentions that since its launch in mid-February, he has already enrolled over 300 paying subscribers.
Pickleball Proshot could be considered as a potential model for the future, as it brings together elements of badminton, ping-pong, and tennis, and is often described as the fastest-growing sport in the country. It is possible that soon-to-be-empty Bed Bath & Beyond locations or vacant spaces in your local mall could be transformed into pickleball courts.
The recent retail-outlook report from JLL indicates that a company is already experiencing a trend in the commercial real-estate market, with Georgia’s Belk department store closing a location and the former Fifth Off Saks store in Connecticut transitioning into pickleball facilities.
According to the report, pickleball court owners are focusing on malls for their expansion plans.
There are several notable factors that drive the movement of retail locations into malls. However, the inherent appeal of the game is that it can be played almost anywhere. It is not to say that pickleball will not continue to be played in people’s driveways, public spaces, and parks, of course.
The Sports & Fitness Industry Association reports a remarkable 85.7% year-on-year growth, with almost 9 million Americans currently engaged in the sport, driven by the increasing popularity of pickleball.
The eruption of a turf war at a New York City playground occurred when a parent complained about the takeover of the space by pickleballers. This lack of available public court space has led to various skirmishes and issues arising between tennis players and those who need places to play.
Additionally, as pickleball enthusiasts invest billions in the game, they encounter conflicts and disputes.
Building from scratch can take a lot of time and money. So, where should they go? Many concepts and ideas are emerging to address the demand for pickleball courts, even from private facility operators who want to enter the picture and leave more room for cities like JLL.
Meanwhile, landlords and operators of big-box stores and other retail spaces, such as malls, are constantly looking for new concepts to bring into their spaces, especially as Americans have made online shopping the norm and are fighting to stay relevant and afloat.
According to James Cook, a research director at JLL, these ideas typically focus on “experiences” rather than just shopping. Consider attractions like museums, golf simulators, and pickleball, for example.
Cook explains, “The concept is that these emerging varieties of mall/big-box tenants, such as pickleball facilities, are something fresh and unparalleled.” It concerns the transformation of the retail environment.
In shopping centers, pickleball has a unique rationale, as stated by Mike Leigh, the writer of “Zen and the Art of Pickleball.” The digital realm of point-and-click online shopping often overlooks the fact that these physical stores aim to foster social interactions. Additionally, due to its intimate nature, pickleball is inherently a social sport.
So the two make a natural combo, Leigh says: Pickleball “will help America’s malls to become the social hub they once were.”.
However, there are numerous arguments that oppose this viewpoint, so it cannot be considered a universally applicable solution.
According to Cook, who acknowledges the significant improvement since the most challenging period of the pandemic, he suggests that the situation might not be as severe as it appears. He highlights the current retail vacancy rate of 4.2%, which is considered to be exceptionally low. However, despite this positive statistic, America’s malls and other retail centers do have their fair share of unoccupied areas.
Additionally, he states that higher-end malls are especially doing well and those spaces tend to be a good fit for experiential concepts like pickleball, among other words, that may not necessarily be tenants for begging but they like the idea.
He states that these demands can present difficulties in a conventional shopping center arrangement. Operators of facilities prefer to have open-air areas, if feasible, during the sunnier seasons. Ideas frequently incorporate a food and beverage element for socializing before and after games. Cook emphasizes that pickleball facilities may require ample space – in addition.
“I believe [pickleball] only functions in certain particular cases,” he states.
Another issue that makes it difficult for Pickleball Proshot Jersey’s South of Pessano to create a viable business is if the columns supporting the space’s ceiling are too low, it can’t add enough height.
Despite these discouraging realities, operators of pickleball continue to consider the option of creating much-needed court spaces by setting up a pop-up facility in New York City’s Hudson Yards development, and elsewhere, looking to permanently establish the Big Apple as a court destination. They are also considering the possibility of repurposing abandoned malls as a viable option to create court spaces, in addition to big-box stores, recognizing the need for court facilities.