Top 10 Retail Experiences: No. 10 Westfield Topanga

At this center in the Santa Monica Mountains west of Los Angeles, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield showed what heights could be hit following the withdrawal of a longtime anchor.

Long a popular fashion stop with retailers like Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Versace, and Dior on its tenant roster, URW saw an opportunity to build on that strength at Topanga with all the square footage at its disposal from its acquisition the former Sears space there.

“We tore the department store down,” said Kim Brewer, URW’s senior VP of development. “As we looked at the evolution of the shopping center, we wanted to use the space to create a dynamic experience.”

The luxury wing was expanded with Grand Seiko and an expanded Gucci store. Signed to open there later this year are Hermés, Bottega Veneta, and an expanded Cartier.

It also created a  new dining hall experience called Topanga Social, a 50,000-sq.-ft. space with 25 food and drink venues and an indoor/outdoor cocktail garden. Tenants include Amboy Quality Burgers, Dumpling Monster, Mad Lab Coffee, the Pearl Champagne Bar, Slab BBQ, and The Pie Room by Curtis Stone.

“We also brought in an AMC dine-in theater and Pinstripes in a space with standalone characteristics,” Brewer said. “We have a concrete ceiling and floors and skylights that are very dramatic.”

With Topanga Social open, dwell time at Westfield Topanga from January to June was 14% higher than it was during the same period in 2022. Traffic was up 9% in May, and 8% of the visitors drove in from 30 miles or more away.

“We’ve engaged in a lot of social media activity about the renovations and invited hundreds of influencers,” said Brewer. “But the people in the center taking pictures is what’s really building our customer base.”