The 30 largest shopping centers in Orange County collectively offer more than 20 million square feet of gross leasable space as of October, though ongoing redevelopments, expansions and closures of malls from Brea to Westminster are altering this retail landscape going into next year.
This year’s list of centers recorded flat sales for the 12 months ended June 30. Total taxable sales across the retail centers were $9.4 billion, representing a 0.2% decline from the same period last year.
The total number of stores, including both restaurants and retail outposts, increased by 57 stores to 2,305.
The most notable jumps in sales came from Irvine’s Alton Marketplace and The District at Tustin Legacy.
Alton Marketplace surged 35% to $126 million in taxable sales as of June 30. Last year, Orange County’s first Bass Pro Shops superstore opened at the Irvine Company-owned center, taking over a former Walmart. The store is one of Bass Pro’s larger formats, dubbed ‘Outdoor World,’ spanning 140,000 square feet.
The District at Tustin Legacy, operated by Vestar, grew 12% to $715 million in taxable sales—ranking it No. 3 on the Business Journal’s shopping center list. It moved up one spot from last year.
With 1 million square feet of leasable space, the District currently has 74 stores open with anchors such as Target and Costco.
Property Manager Tom Schriber said that The District is 98.5% leased, though the OC “retail market remains quite tight.” Nine new tenants have debuted at the center so far in 2025, and three new dining options are set to open by the end of the year.
He credits the recent growth to the center’s daily-needs shoppers as well as the local housing development in the area. He added that consumer demand and sentiment are positive.
“This increase in local residents directly supports a consistent and growing customer base for our tenants,” Schriber told the Business Journal.
South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa maintains its No. 1 spot with $2.6 billion in taxable sales, up 2% from the previous year. The luxury shopping center has seen 20 new and relocated stores open this year—including exclusive newcomers Dior Beauty and Eleventy Milano. At least eight more brands are expected to open by December, including West Coast’s first Manolo Blahnik boutique.
Irvine Spectrum Center, which marked its 30th anniversary in 2025, spans 1.2 million square feet and draws more than 16.5 million visitors annually. Ranked No. 4, it reported $649 million in taxable sales, up 4.4% from a year ago.
A new ‘Giant Wheel’ is on its way, running 23 feet higher than the current 10-story edition, and was made in Italy like its predecessor.
Sales Holding Their Own
The Fullerton Town Center, ranked No. 27 with an estimated $100 million in taxable sales, changed hands earlier this year when The Dinerstein Cos. purchased the mall at a land value of $21 million from Big Shopping Centers. Construction is underway on a project that will convert a portion of the center into a 329-unit apartment complex, slated for completion in 2027.
Westminster Mall was among 9 centers with declining sales. The mall, which saw taxable sales drop 11% to $107 million is winding down operations this year, as a majority of its 168 tenants closed on Oct. 29 due to their leases expiring, according to Westminster City Manager Christine Cordon.
Mall landlord Washington Prime Group (WPG) put its portion of the mall on the market. At the same time, fellow owners Irvine-based Shopoff Realty Investments and Kaiser Permanente have proposed development projects that haven’t been updated in the past few years.
Simon Property Group is a major owner reinvesting in its Orange County properties (see page 22).
“Traffic is up, sales are holding their own and our properties are continuing to get better,” Chief Executive David Simon told analysts on the company’s latest earnings call.
Brea Mall, also owned by Simon, opened a new wing and entrance in April along with a new 119,000-square-foot exterior space. The Shops at Mission Viejo also broke ground on a 50,000-square-foot open-air plaza that will feature a Pacific Catch, North Italia and a two-story Arhaus.
Research Director Desmond Celo contributed to this report.
