Star Wars fever hits shopping centers

Last weekend was a blockbuster at the movies — thanks largely, to the release of Star Wars: The Last Jedi — and a blockbuster for shopping centers too, where most went to see their movie.

More than a quarter (26 percent) of U.S. adults saw a movie last weekend, and among these, 83 percent went to a cinema located in a mall or other shopping center, according to ICSC Research. That meant good business for other tenants at those shopping centers, because 87 percent of adults who went to a shopping center movie theater also engaged in other activities there. Overall, 62 percent of shopping center theater visitors dined at the center, and nearly half (48 percent) shopped.

Millennials were particularly lucrative movie patrons, with 90 percent of them engaging in other activities at the center.

Additionally, adults visiting theaters in shopping centers used personal services (23 percent), attended holiday events (21 percent), had a child’s picture taken with Santa (21 percent), went to the gym or participated in other entertainment experiences (16 percent) and contributed to charities (13 percent).