PEORIA (25News Now) – Northwoods Mall is operating as a space for small businesses to thrive.

That’s according to general manager Julie Revallo, who says local storefronts are helping Northwoods Mall stay profitable.

“I’m giving people the opportunity of their lifetime dream to open up their own store and be their own boss,” Revallo said.

Coresight Research estimates that a quarter of malls across the country will close within the next three to five years. Since the pandemic, there have been more online shopping options for consumers.

Revallo wants to keep Northwoods alive by offering more local and chain storefronts.

“They’re going to succeed because we’re not going to ask them to pay an astronomical amount of rent that they can’t afford. If they succeed, then we succeed,” Revallo said.

Northwoods currently has 39 local tenants, compared to the 32 national ones.

“I think there is so much talk of online shopping and what it’s doing to the small people,” said Curt Purtscher of Wandering Springs Soaps and Succulents. “I think people are gearing back to that more so than they’re seeing what they are doing to the small cities.”

A new local store called FrooMira is opening May 1. Owner Franklin Foulger says he likes how management made his opening process effortless

“They make it easy even for people like me who are not from a retail background. They make it easy for you, they’re here all of the time,” said Foulger.

Revallo says shopping locally is helping Northwoods while acting as a small business incubator.

”By people shopping locally, Peorians are opening local stores. It’s really working for Northwoods Mall,” Revallo said.

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