The Grove: LA Icon
What makes a shopping centre become part of a city’s culture?
This weekend, I took my daughter to LA to play tourist, and it occurred to me, can you even call it a day in LA without visiting The Grove?
Nothing particularly remarkable about that. Except that it was her first visit since she was a toddler. She doesn't remember those early visits. I do.
So walking through The Grove with her this time felt strangely nostalgic. The trolley was still rolling. The fountain was still dancing. Flowers were still everywhere. People were still wandering around with shopping bags, coffees and children in tow.
But she was seeing it all for the first time.
She wanted to ride the trolley. She wanted to see the fountain and get her photo. She wanted to wander through the shops. She wanted to stop for food. And somewhere between answering questions about why the trolley is there and watching her experience something I've experienced countless times myself, I realised: The Grove has managed to do something most retail destinations spend millions trying to manufacture. It has created a feeling people remember. And not just created, but sustained.
So, what makes The Grove so successful?
On paper, The Grove shouldn't necessarily be as culturally sticky as it is. It's a shopping centre.
Lots of the same stores, places to eat, and things you could find in countless other places and locations.
It opened in 2002, occupies roughly 600,000 square feet and sits next to the much older Original Farmers Market at Third and Fairfax in Los Angeles. Today, Caruso describes it as one of the highest-grossing shopping and entertainment centres in the country, with 100% occupancy and average sales of $2,460 per square foot. It also reports that 90% of guests make a purchase.
But those numbers aren't really the story.
The Place Test
Why go?
Why stay?
Why spend?
Why return?
Why tell?
What makes it different?
What can others learn?
The Grove passes all seven.
1. Why go?
The Grove offers more than just shopping; it's a destination. Rick Caruso envisioned it as a vibrant urban street, not a typical mall. Inspired by pedestrian-friendly cities and film set designs, The Grove is distinct. It’s filled with attractions, including the design, architecture, and landscaping. You can visit The Grove without shopping, but the opportunity to shop is ever-present. It's unique.
2. Why stay?
The environment encourages people to linger, a key but often overlooked tactic in place-making. The Grove's design intentionally slows visitors with its winding paths, outdoor cafés, landscaping, public spaces, central fountain, and trolley, turning movement into an experience. Every detail was meticulously planned. At its opening, The Grove featured over 900 rose bushes, 25 mature trees, hand-laid mosaic paths, and a trolley crafted by George McGinnis, a former Disney Imagineer. These elements aren't essential for a shopping center's operation, yet they are crucial. Utility attracts visitors; experience keeps them engaged, creating chances for discovery, connection, consumption, and memory.
3. Why spend?
The commercial proposition is seamlessly integrated into the experience. The Grove offers a carefully selected mix of fashion, beauty, dining, and entertainment, continuously providing new engagement opportunities. Caruso's Glass Box stands out as an example. This small-format pop-up has become a testing ground for digitally native brands exploring physical retail, with brands like SKIMS, Sézane, Everlane, Byredo, and Westman Atelier transitioning to permanent stores, and it was popping on the weekend with lines curving down the street for a chance to try the new beauty collection from Prada. Caruso revealed that the space was fully booked for two years when profiled in 2024. This isn't just a leasing strategy; it acknowledges that retail can be part of the programming. The environment draws the audience, the brands supply the content, and the content drives return visits, keeping the commercial momentum ongoing.
4. Why return?
The Grove stands out by offering both novelty and familiarity. Visitors find new experiences while recognizing familiar elements: the trolley, fountain, architecture, flowers, and Farmers Market. This blend is powerful, allowing visitors to return years later and still connect with the place.
Take my weekend visit with my daughter, evidence that the experience and the feeling it creates can span generates and bring us closer together.
5. Why tell?
Because The Grove is inherently shareable.
The Grove was a visual masterpiece before Instagram, TikTok, or Snapchat. Its fountain, trolley, architecture, flowers, Christmas tree, storefronts, and people create a spectacle. The destination itself is content, proving that the best places don't depend solely on paid media to attract visitors.
They provide a compelling topic of conversation. In today's world, social media magnifies this effect. However, the core strategy remains: craft experiences people desire, and they'll naturally want to share them.
6. What makes The Grove different?
The Grove's biggest differentiator isn't any individual retailer. It's the orchestration of the whole experience.
The Grove maintains its identity regardless of changes in stores, restaurants, or brands. This is the hallmark of a strong brand. Its essence is woven into its environment, services, and the emotions it evokes. Importantly, The Grove didn't erase its roots; it embraced the historic Farmers Market. By integrating the two with a trolley, The Grove honored tradition while enhancing its brand. Enhancing a place often means strengthening connections with its heritage.
7. What can others learn?
The Grove provides a valuable guide for developing shopping centers, mixed-use areas, hospitality venues, or urban spaces.
Begin with the human experience
What draws people here when they don't have to come? Engagement is not just foot traffic.
Walking through a space isn't the same as connecting with it. The goal is to give people reasons to pause, explore, and stay.
Emotions have commercial value.
The Grove shows that atmosphere is integral to the commercial strategy.
Design for behavior, not demographics.
A diverse group can all enjoy The Grove uniquely, yet it remains cohesive.
Build a place of belonging, not just visitation.
That's the key. The true product isn't retail; it's the feeling. The Grove thrives after 24 years because it grasped this about physical destinations:
People need more than a place to shop.
They seek a place worth visiting, meeting, lingering, being entertained, making memories, and feeling different from home.
The Grove's success is not just commercial but cultural. It's embedded in the Los Angeles experience.
This weekend, my daughter forgot the shops but remembered the experience and the feeling of welcome and belonging.
She's begun her own Grove story. That's more than a shopping center; that's a place.
