Ep. 149: Fresh New Finds at MOA

Mall of America is entering an exciting new chapter, with a fresh wave of announced brands and newly opened concepts already creating major buzz among guests. From fashion and beauty to globally inspired dining and viral social media favorites, the retail landscape continues to evolve, and Mall of America is right at the center of it.    In this episode, we sit down with leasing team members Carrie Charleston and Ashley Hofmann to explore what’s driving the momentum behind these exciting additions and how the team curates a mix that feels fresh, relevant, and experience-driven for today’s guests.    We talk about newly announced brands including Cotton & Snow, House of Seoul, Kiokii, Studs, and Lulus, along with recently opened concepts like Banana Republic, KPOP NARA, DUCK, Sweet Crunch Tanghulu, and Roni’s Mac Bar. Along the way, Carrie and Ashley share insights into emerging retail and dining trends, what makes a brand the right fit for Mall of America, and which openings have generated the biggest guest reactions so far.    1:00 Prepping for the largest retail leasing conference of the year, ICSC in Las Vegas  4:30 Recently opened fan favorites, refined fashion to K-pop inspired retail and fun eats  12:45 New concepts coming soon including Cotton & Snow, Kiokii, Lulus and Studs (now open)  20:00 Updates on other tenants currently under construction  24:45 Lightning round: quick questions and sometimes surprising answers    Visit: https://www.mallofamerica.com/shopping/new     Guests: Carrie Charleston, Vice President of Leasing and Ashley Hofmann, Leasing Director at Mall of America    Hosts: Jill Renslow, Daniel Jasper    Presented by Bloomington Minnesota Travel and Tourism the official destination marketing organization for the city of Bloomington, Minn.