Open-air shopping centers are better positioned to survive the pandemic, particularly compared to malls, because they have fewer restrictions in relation to the coronavirus outbreak. Outdoor spaces—including dining and shopping—are considered safer than indoor spaces in contracting the virus, and as a result, open-air shopping centers have more flexibility to accommodate customers.

"Due to their nature, open-air shopping centers tend to have more exterior common, gathering, communal and/or open areas available within their boundaries," Scott Grossfeld, a partner at Cox, Castle & Nicholson, tells GlobeSt.com. "Therefore, in circumstances in which state and local governments prohibit or restrict the operation of in-store retail and/or restaurant operations, the landlords of open-air shopping centers are able to provide more alternatives than enclosed malls for exterior operations."

Indoor malls, on the other hand, are more restricted and considered higher risk in contracting the virus. "In jurisdictions with more restrictive COVID regulations, most enclosed malls are still prohibited or significantly restricted from permitting in-store shopping," says Grossfeld. "This is mostly due to governmental efforts to limit crowding within interior locations and the inability to control excessive occupancy and gathering in enclosed shopping centers."