Simon Property Group is cautiously optimistic in light of positive traffic trends

“Between being cooped up, between being locked down, between the stimulus, between celebrating that the country is still around … there’s clearly some level of euphoria around that,” said Simon Property Group CEO David Simon in the call, cited by CNBC.

However, the executive was keen to point out that, despite week-over-week improvements, it remains difficult to know for sure whether this boost will prove to be a continued trend or only a temporary uptick.

The CEO further highlighted that there are “pockets of the country” that are yet to experience traffic improvements. In particular, he mentioned California and New York, where Covid-19-related restrictions continue to prevent shoppers from returning to malls.

In addition, David Simon said that the ongoing lack of international tourism has also continued to have a negative impact on both malls and outlets.

In its Q1 earnings release, Simon Property Group revealed that its revenues fell 0.08% year over year in the first quarter ended March 31, 2021, totaling $1.24 billion, compared to $1.35 billion in the same period in the previous year.

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