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Twelve Oaks Mall reinvents itself to keep up with changing retail trends

Posted By: Oakland Press on November 10, 2025.  For more information, please click here to read the source article.

When Sears shut its doors in 2019, the vacant anchor space became Twelve Oaks Mall’s most visible empty storefront. Now, the shopping center is reshaping that former department store footprint.

Construction is underway to convert the space into new locations for Dick’s House of Sport, Round1 Bowling & Arcade and fast-fashion retailer Primark, all expected to open next year.

“I think it really complements the mall,” said Scott Lofton, Twelve Oaks’ general manager. “I’m super excited. And the fact that the Sears store has been closed for years, and even before it was closed, Sears had lost a lot of its customer base. When it was a Sears at the end, it wasn’t a great big draw anymore. I’m absolutely thrilled to have them.”

The updates come as Pottery Barn unveiled a larger store in an expanded space late last month, adding to a series of recent remodels and new additions throughout Twelve Oaks Mall. Among them are the Free People store and its athletic component, FP Movement, which both opened this year.

The momentum is expected to continue as Simon Property Group finalized completing its acquisition of the mall’s owner, Taubman Realty Group, last week.

“We have been partners in ownership of the Twelve Oaks Mall for the past five years and are committed to continuing to deliver the exceptional shopping experience it is known for,” Simon Property Group said in an emailed statement. “We look forward to elevating it even further over time through new offerings, thoughtful merchandising and ongoing investment to strengthen its role as a vibrant community destination.”

Filling a big void

Mall traffic remains strong, Lofton said, noting the high household income in the Novi area and its long-standing customer base. The mall prides itself on keeping its facility well-maintained, said Lofton, who previously worked in Michigan, left to manage a mall in Missouri and then joined Twelve Oaks last November.

“Novi is very much a growing community, and safe,” Lofton said. “The more people I get to know in the city, everything is really nice out here. You can tell by the way that things exploded just in the nine years I was gone. You’ve got a shopping center across the street from us. A lot of competition has moved in, but it’s because there’s the customer here for it.”

One recent day at the mall, construction was underway on the three new venues replacing the Sears store. The entryways were blocked, but signage alerted passersby to what was to come.

In late October, Pottery Barn opened a new, bigger space in the mall. Rally House recently moved to a larger space, replacing the former Forever 21 store. The mall also has a Toys “R” Us pop-up store for the holiday season. New stores this year also include intimate apparel retailer La Vie En Rose, Free People and its activewear store, FP Movement.

Several stores underwent remodels, Lofton said, including Victoria’s Secret, Garage, Bath & Body Works and Pandora.

“Keeping a good mix of retail, that’s the trick in retail nowadays,” Lofton said. “We couldn’t do anything about Sears. We couldn’t do anything about Lord & Taylor. … They’re working on getting it leased and all that, but those big boxes are hard to do. There’s not a whole lot of those left, so you have to end up doing different things. Entertainment, and some people are doing residential in different places. Different ways to reinvent how you use a 100,000-square-foot store when it goes out.”

The mall also recently added a Pop Mart vending machine featuring the highly sought-after Labubu collectible figures, which caused long lines when it arrived. A full Pop Mart storefront offering the popular items is expected to open this month.

Filling the former Sears space with multiple tenants, including Dick’s House of Sport and Round1, is smart because it adds experiences that draw people in, said Patricia Huddleston, a professor of retailing in Michigan State University’s Department of Advertising and Public Relations.

Dick’s House of Sport, for example, is designed for interaction, letting shoppers test products and engage with staff. This location will also feature a two-story rock climbing wall and an indoor ice rink.

“Any time you can get people to have an experience, rather than just picking something up and buying it, you’re going to probably get them to spend more and make it a more memorable experience,” she said.

She also said that existing retailers choosing to remodel and update their stores is a positive sign.

“Refreshing stores, first of all, it gives retailers a chance to reconnect with consumers and basically say, come on back …,” she said. “Anytime you do a refresh, it’s an opportunity to reconnect and reaffirm what your position is in the market.”

Huddleston noted what happens when a store doesn’t refresh: “I think one of the reasons Sears failed is they had not invested in their stores, and it just became an unpleasant shopping experience,” she said.

Earlier this month, Simon Property Group announced it had purchased the remaining interest in Taubman Realty Group, which includes Twelve Oaks Mall and Great Lakes Crossing. The Taubman family continues to be a significant shareholder in Simon.

“Simon proudly owns and operates more than 200 premier shopping, dining, entertainment, and mixed-use destinations across the country — each carefully curated for the market it’s in and community it serves,” the company said.

Ahmed Zabian, franchisee of four Pro Image Sports locations in Michigan, said he hopes to benefit from being part of the mix of businesses coming to Twelve Oaks. Opened earlier this year, his store sits near the incoming Dick’s House of Sport, Primark and Round1 Bowling & Arcade, as well as H&M.

“We have a lot of nice anchors that draw traffic to the location,” he said. “In the mall business, you want to be near the big anchors that are drawing in thousands of people into their stores every day.”

Pro Image Sports carries a wide range of merchandise, including apparel, headwear and novelty items for local and national sports teams. Their customers include fans, collectors or anyone looking for gifts. Each store is tailored to its local customer base and its sports teams.

“We’re able to quickly grab product, quickly adjust to see what the customer wants,” he said.

‘A universal mall for all’

On a recent Friday, the mall drew a wide mix of shoppers, mothers with young children, school-aged kids visiting from out of town, older adults running errands, and mall walkers doing laps.

Sisters Constance Laderoot and Chibwe Powell of Novi, both in their 40s, were there with their mother to get her out of the house and moving.

They picked up items from H&M and Soma. The two said they’ve been coming to Twelve Oaks a couple of times a week for about seven years. They said they’re pleased with the selection and cleanliness of the mall.

“A few weeks ago, there was a gentleman around maybe 2 p.m. who was cleaning the windows by the escalators,” Laderoot recalled. “And it was just fun to see he was actually playing, and having fun and just swiping. It was nice to see he was having fun.”

Chibwe said she’s impressed to see teens at the mall.

“It’s safe,” she said. “They’re not doing anything they shouldn’t be doing. They’re just kind of walking around, and they’re just being kids. It’s a universal mall for all.”

Laderoot: “I think they’re trying to go with the trends, right? And I can guarantee you, Pop Mart opening up very soon, oh, it’s going to be a hit. Let me tell you, there’ll be more kids at this mall than anything.”