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Business & Tech

The Haves and Have Nots at Westfield Culver City

Stores in the newly renovated west end of the mall have long lines while shops in the older east side run sales constantly in a bid to attract buyers.

For anyone driving southbound on I-405 toward LAX, the sight of the newly renovated open air Westfield Culver City mall defines the view of Fox Hills from the highway, serving as a constant reminder of the neighborhood's shift to a more mainstream consumer culture. 

It's been just about a year since the Westfield Group invested $180 million to burnish the 130-store Westfield mall's image as a luxury must-see, must-go destination and give it a hip, stylish new look that reflects the recent renaissance in the trendy neighborhood.

The makeover included plenty of amenities such as an eco-friendly waterless carwash, cafe-style dining, and family-friendly lounges, and even WFamily Play Days full of fun events for parents and kids. Public art adorns the mall too. 

Much was at stake with the facelift since the mall generates roughly 20 percent of the sales tax for all of Culver City, according to Julie Lugo Cerra of the Culver City Archives.  

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The west-wing of the mall now sports completely revamped storefronts showcasing 40 new shops including luxury brands like Coach, consumer electronics giant Best Buy, and a 155,000 square foot Target.  The rest of the mall got minor upgrades. 

Customers strolling through the mall also have other new shopping choices, including an array of boutique kiosks selling their unusual, often-one-of-a-kind wares.  Magic Touch employee Ashley Briggs, who works a booth at the west end of the Westfield/Culver City mall, said that she notices the stratification of the mall's shops when she enters the mall from Macy's at the mall's core. 

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"You can see a definite divide in the mall between old and new," Briggs said. "All of the new shops on this side, [such as Target, Best Buy] attract a different crowd." 

The divide is also visible inside the stores. While lines of shoppers crowd in the mall's Target and Best Buy, older businesses on the mall's eastern side, such as Silhouette, post sale signs daily.  

Considered the Culver City epicenter for big business, the Fox Hills neighborhood where the mall is located once was home to riding stables, and gold courses. Annexed to Culver City proper in 1964, the Fox Hills area has seen a number of major construction projects in recent years, making it the area with the highest concentration of development in Culver City.  

 

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