Washington Prime Group Specialty Leasing Opportunities Served as Launch Pad for Local Entrepreneurs and Small Businesses in 2021

01.28.22

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COLUMBUS, OH - January 28, 2021 - Each year, Washington Prime Group's town centers offer specialty leasing opportunities to entrepreneurs and experienced retailers looking for a space to bring their businesses to life. From new local brands, to businesses looking to establish a physical presence for the first time, to retail concepts looking for flexibility, Washington Prime Group town centers serve as an ideal launch pad for new retail, dining, and entertainment venues.

Washington Prime Group has approximately 3,000 small businesses across its portfolio and this past Small Business Saturday, it launched a SHOW Love SHOP Small initiative as an extension of this commitment. SHOW Love SHOP Small is designed to spotlight small businesses throughout the year by providing promotional and marketing support at the property-level.

In 2021, Washington Prime Group welcomed a diverse mix of specialty leasing tenants, offering unique and meaningful experiences, inspired cuisines, and purpose-driven retail destinations for its guests.

Supporting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

In 2021, Washington Prime Group supported the growth of many minority-owned and women-owned businesses. At the unique co-op, The Collective at Artisan Row, located at WestShore Plaza, guests can browse a rotating mix of unique goods, from apparel to books to homemade jewelry, from a variety of minority-owned, local businesses. Lily's Perfumes & Kandles by Design at Waterford® Lakes Town Center was started by Liliana, a female entrepreneur with two decades of experience in the perfume industry, who launched her business as a way to merge her love for perfume with her desire to create a relaxing and chic space for customers to create their own high-quality, custom candles. Pup's Path, which sells specialty dog supplies and accessories at Southern Park Mall is owned and operated by a female entrepreneur.

Loving Local

This past year, a growing number of entrepreneurs showed love for their local communities with specialty shops at Washington Prime Group town centers. Makers Mart at Markland Mall champions local makers and artisans in the Kokomo, Indiana community and gives them an opportunity to reach a wider audience than they could on their own-while Last Best Supply Company at Southgate Mall exclusively sells products that are made in Montana. At 16thRegion Apparel at Ashland Town Center, local fans can show their support for all the local teams, with a large selection of local school spirit apparel.

Giving Back

Several other specialty tenants across the country give back to causes and communities close to the owners, as part of their business model. Clothes with a Cause at Clay Terrace exclusively sells ethically sourced products with a purpose and donates all profits to a local charitable organization. Baron & Co. at Polaris Fashion Place® is an upscale salon for men and women where you can look good, feel good and do good at once. The hair studio offers barber services, hair styling, cut and color, as well as waxing and facials and the salon uses and sells sustainably sourced, luxury beauty products. Revitalized at The Outlet Collection|Seattle® is a thrift shop on a mission, with every dollar going towards the support of the REVIVE Cares program, which provides furnishings for those coming out of homelessness in the Auburn area.

Discovering Fresh Flavors

Washington Prime Group town centers also welcomed a variety of unique and independent eateries in 2021. The Hide Out, a family-owned coffee shop at Edison Mall, warmly welcomes the community with an inviting atmosphere, an inspired menu full of fresh breakfast and lunch offerings and a selfie station. Kravegan is getting noticed in the North Florida area for its delicious vegan eats. The owner Latasha Kaiser started Kravegan as a food truck, opening her first brick-and-mortar location at Orange Park Mall with a passion for serving healthy and flavorful food. At Southern Park Mall in Boardman, Ohio, Fresh to Deaf serves up healthy meals with plenty of vegan offerings, as well as health supplements. This minority- and woman-owned business was started when the partially deaf owner committed herself to solving her own health issues through a clean diet.

Unique Experiences

Washington Prime Group town centers pride themselves on being a place of connection for guests, with exciting experiences that bring families and friends together. In addition to welcoming new retail and dining tenants, Washington Prime Group also added new entertainment tenants across its portfolio in 2021. This included unique experiences for guests like The Donut Life Museum at Westminster® Mall, which features seven unique rooms with donut art installations by local artists and photo ops at every turn. At Wonder Cleveland, an enchanting and immersive entertainment experience awaits-this stunning, next generation museum at Great Lakes Mall is built on interactive technology that allows guests to step into a new dimension. The Viral Selfie Museum at Polaris Fashion Place® and Selfie WRLD at WestShore Plaza offer guests an interactive, do-it-yourself photo studio with themed backdrops and Instagram-worthy installations for the perfect selfie or group photo. For guests looking for more action, Gotcha! at The Outlet Collection|Seattle® is America's most immersive foam dart arena. Fans can play and party while dodging flying foam darts in thrilling sets like outer space or the seven seas.

Josh Lindimore, Executive Vice President, Head of Leasing, and Interim Co-CEO of Washington Prime Group, stated: "Supporting small businesses and our communities while bringing the latest retail concepts and memorable experiences to our guests is a top priority for us. We are proud to be a place of growth for local businesses, as well as a destination to connect for community members and businesses alike."

Washington Prime Group is committed to supporting local entrepreneurs and small business owners in 2022. To learn more about Washington Prime Group's specialty leasing opportunities, please visit its dedicated webpage.

About Washington Prime Group

Washington Prime Group is a recognized leader in the ownership, management, acquisition and development of retail properties. The Company combines a national real estate portfolio with its expertise across the entire shopping center sector to provide new opportunities to retailers looking for growth throughout the U.S. Washington Prime Group® is a registered trademark of the Company. Learn more at www.washingtonprime.com.

Contact

Kimberly Flaherty, VP Communications & PR: [email protected]