What If the Next Anchor of Retail Isn’t a Store, but an Activity? | TH

29/10/2026

Thailand mall interior — Interior of a mall in Thailand

For decades, retail destinations have largely been shaped by what people could buy, where they could dine and which brands could attract visitors.

But as wellness becomes a bigger part of everyday life, another question is becoming increasingly relevant:

What can people actually do when they get there?

Yoga, Pilates, recreational sports and community activities represent a different kind of attraction. Rather than focusing only on transactions, these experiences can give people more reasons to visit, stay and return.

From Shopping Space to Activity Space

The role of retail has already expanded beyond shopping. Dining, entertainment and experiences have become important parts of many destinations.

Wellness adds another dimension.

Rather than viewing wellness only as a tenant category, developers can also consider how the wider environment can support movement, recreation and social interaction.

Happitat provides an interesting example of this direction, bringing retail and dining together with spaces that place nature and the overall environment at the centre of the experience.

The opportunity, therefore, is not simply about adding more wellness-related businesses to the tenant mix.

It is also about thinking differently about how space can be used.

Flexible spaces, for example, could potentially support activities such as yoga, Pilates, recreational programmes, wellness workshops or community events. These are examples of potential activations rather than confirmed activities at Happitat.

Wellness Beyond Retail

The idea becomes particularly interesting when retail is part of a wider commercial or mixed-use environment.

Not every element of the employee experience needs to happen inside the office.

Surrounding retail and mixed-use destinations could complement the workplace by creating alternative settings for employee wellness, team activities and community engagement.

That could gradually change the way we think about workplace amenities.

Restaurants, cafés and convenience will remain important, but the wider ecosystem around an office can potentially also provide opportunities for movement, recreation, wellness and social interaction.

From “What Should Fill This Space?” to “What Can People Do Here?”

For developers, landlords and occupiers, this suggests a subtle but important shift in perspective.

Traditionally, the question has often been:

“What should fill this space?”
Which retailer? Which restaurant? Which service?

But as experiences and wellbeing become increasingly relevant to how people use real estate, another question deserves attention:

“What can people do here?”
The first question focuses primarily on occupancy and tenant mix.

The second introduces another dimension: activity and experience.

Successful destinations may increasingly need to consider both.

The Next Anchor Could Be an Experience

This does not mean activities will replace traditional anchor tenants.

Rather, the ability to support different activities and experiences could become another way for destinations to create value and encourage repeat visits.

For retail, activities can provide reasons to visit beyond purchasing.

For workplaces, the surrounding environment can potentially extend the employee experience beyond the office itself.

And for mixed-use developments, there is an opportunity to connect retail, wellbeing, recreation and community rather than treating each as a separate function.

Perhaps the next generation of real estate will therefore be defined not only by what people can buy, but increasingly by how people choose to spend their time.

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