Major Shopping Centers in the Phoenix Area: A 2026 Guide
Metro Phoenix's retail landscape has changed sharply in the last five years. ClozeEZ lists Arizona homes by owner across metro Phoenix, free to list with a flat $200 Platform Success Fee owed only at closing. Three enclosed malls have been demolished while a wave of open-air lifestyle centers has opened across the West and Southeast Valleys. Six enclosed malls remain, led by Scottsdale Fashion Square at roughly 2.1 million square feet. The largest concentration of upscale open-air shopping sits at Scottsdale Road and Greenway, where Kierland Commons and Scottsdale Quarter face each other across the street.
Enclosed malls
Scottsdale Fashion Square in Scottsdale is Arizona's largest at about 2.1 million square feet, anchored by Nordstrom, Macy's, Neiman Marcus, and Dillard's, with a dedicated luxury wing. Chandler Fashion Center covers roughly 1.4 million square feet with Dillard's, Macy's, Scheels, and Harkins. Arrowhead Towne Center in Glendale runs about 1.2 million square feet and is the only remaining metro enclosed mall holding all three traditional department store anchors.
Superstition Springs Center in Mesa continues with Dillard's and JCPenney after losing Sears in 2018 and Macy's in 2025. Desert Sky Mall in west Phoenix anchors with Curacao and the Mercado de los Cielos indoor marketplace. Arizona Mills in Tempe is the metro's only enclosed climate-controlled outlet mall and includes an IMAX, SEA LIFE Aquarium, and LEGOLAND Discovery Center.
Open-air and lifestyle centers
The Scottsdale Road corridor is the upscale core. Kierland Commons, often called Arizona's first lifestyle center, runs about 439,000 square feet in a main-street format with residences above the shops; Scottsdale Quarter sits directly across the road with roughly 755,000 square feet of mixed use including Apple, RH, and Puttshack. The two function as a single walkable destination.
Elsewhere: Biltmore Fashion Park in Phoenix, open since 1963 and anchored by Macy's and Life Time. Desert Ridge Marketplace in north Phoenix at roughly 1.2 million square feet. Tempe Marketplace at 1.3 million square feet at the Loop 101 and 202 interchange. SanTan Village in Gilbert. Westgate Entertainment District in Glendale next to State Farm Stadium. Park West in Peoria. Mesa Riverview, anchored by Bass Pro Shops. The Shops at Norterra in north Phoenix. Uptown Plaza in central Phoenix, built by Del Webb in 1955 as the city's first suburban shopping center and restored as a midcentury-modern center.
The newest growth is in the West and Southeast Valleys. Village at Prasada in Surprise has grown past a million square feet across multiple phases. Verrado Marketplace in Buckeye, a $275 million, 500,000-square-foot Vestar center, began opening in phases in May 2026 with completion expected in January 2027. Queen Creek Marketplace runs roughly 900,000 square feet. Epicenter at Agritopia in Gilbert is a small mixed-use village built beside a working urban farm.
Outlets
Phoenix Premium Outlets sits at Wild Horse Pass off I-10 in Chandler, on Gila River Indian Community land next to the resort and casino. Tanger Outlets Westgate in Glendale runs about 410,000 square feet with 90-plus stores beside State Farm Stadium. Outlets North Phoenix, at I-17 and Anthem Way, was renamed from Outlets at Anthem in March 2023; the old name still circulates but is out of date.
Shopping districts
Old Town Scottsdale has nine official sub-districts, with 50-plus galleries along Main Street and Marshall Way and a free ArtWalk every Thursday evening that has run continuously since 1975. Downtown Gilbert's Heritage District is dining-led with 30-plus restaurants along Gilbert Road. Mill Avenue in Tempe sits on the light rail line. Roosevelt Row is downtown Phoenix's arts district and home to First Friday.
Two districts worth knowing for vintage and antiques: the Melrose District on 7th Avenue in Phoenix, marked by its neon gateway arch, now holds the metro's densest concentration of vintage retail, and Catlin Court in downtown Glendale occupies converted early-century bungalows.
What has closed, and what is replacing it
Three enclosed malls are gone. Metrocenter in north Phoenix, which opened in 1973 as the first two-level five-anchor mall in the country, closed in June 2020 and finished demolition in September 2025; the 64-acre site is becoming The Metropolitan, an $850 million mixed-use district. Fiesta Mall in Mesa closed in 2018 and was demolished in 2023 and 2024, with the 89-acre site rezoned for mixed use. Paradise Valley Mall was demolished in 2021 and 2022 and replaced by PV, a $2 billion open-air district at Tatum and Cactus that is still opening in phases.
Also gone from earlier eras: Los Arcos Mall in Scottsdale, now ASU SkySong, plus Tri-City Mall in Mesa and Valley West Mall in Glendale. If a guide still lists any of these as shopping destinations, it is out of date.
Frequently asked questions
What is the largest mall in the Phoenix area?
Scottsdale Fashion Square, at roughly 2.1 million square feet, anchored by Nordstrom, Macy's, Neiman Marcus, and Dillard's, with a dedicated luxury wing and an attached Harkins and Life Time.
What happened to Metrocenter?
It closed in June 2020 and demolition finished in September 2025. The 64-acre site at I-17 between Dunlap and Peoria is being redeveloped as The Metropolitan, an $850 million mixed-use district with housing, retail, and public space.
Is Paradise Valley Mall still open?
The enclosed mall was demolished in 2021 and 2022. It has been replaced by PV, a $2 billion open-air district at Tatum Boulevard and Cactus Road that is opening in phases; Costco and JCPenney survive from the mall era.
Where is the best open-air shopping in Scottsdale?
The Scottsdale Road and Greenway corridor, where Kierland Commons and Scottsdale Quarter sit directly across from each other and function as one walkable district. Old Town Scottsdale is the other major destination, with galleries, boutiques, and a long-running Thursday ArtWalk.
Are there outlet malls in Phoenix?
Four. Phoenix Premium Outlets in Chandler at Wild Horse Pass, Tanger Outlets Westgate in Glendale, Outlets North Phoenix at I-17 and Anthem Way (renamed from Outlets at Anthem in 2023), and Arizona Mills in Tempe, which is the metro's only enclosed outlet mall.