Polaris Fashion Place

What Polaris Fashion Place does

Polaris Fashion Place is a Class-A regional shopping center located at 1500 Polaris Parkway in Columbus, Ohio, just off Interstate 71. Founded circa 2000 and operated by O'Connor Companies, the property houses more than 170 national, regional, and local retail, dining, and entertainment tenants, anchored by Macy's, Saks Fifth Avenue, JCPenney, and Von Maur. The mall is positioned as Central Ohio's premier shopping destination, offering market-exclusive brands and a mix of luxury (Saks Fifth Avenue, Apple, Lululemon), mid-market (H&M, Abercrombie), and value retail alongside experiential entertainment (Dave & Buster's, Big Air Trampoline Park, All In Adventures escape rooms, Dick's House of Sport) and a diverse dining roster (Molly Woo's, California Pizza Kitchen, The Cheesecake Factory, Brio Italian Grille, Olive Garden).

The property generates revenue primarily through recurring retail tenant leasing, supplemented by advertising and event sponsorship income. Polaris runs an active event-driven GTM motion, hosting 75+ annual events including the LIVE @ Polaris summer concert series, Boo & Brew fall festival, KidX children's programming, seasonal craft markets, and holiday traditions (Photos with Santa, Easter Bunny). Amenities include valet parking ($12), stroller rentals ($9), complimentary wheelchair service, free WiFi, family rooms, a zoo-themed children's play area, and The Yard outdoor lifestyle space. Corporate sponsorships — notably Wright-Patt Credit Union as presenting sponsor of LIVE @ Polaris and Boo & Brew — provide marketing co-investment and brand visibility.

The mall operates a physical distribution model with no proprietary e-commerce or technology platform; instead, it functions as a multi-tenant real estate asset running event-driven foot-traffic marketing through organic social (Facebook, Instagram), email newsletters via Constant Contact, and local radio media partnerships. Distribution is further supported by co-marketing with adjacent hotels (Marriott Residence Inn, Hyatt Place, Hampton Inn) and an on-site workspace partner (COhatch). Customer-facing integrations are limited to calendar subscriptions (Google, iCalendar, Outlook) for event discovery. No mobile app, API, or AI/ML capabilities are present in the available data.

Name

Polaris Fashion Place

Legal name

Polaris Fashion Place

Website

https://polarisfashionplace.com/

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Polaris Fashion Place is a Class-A regional shopping center in Columbus, Ohio, operated by O'Connor Companies, housing 170+ retail, dining, and entertainment tenants anchored by Macy's, Saks Fifth Avenue, JCPenney, and Von Maur, generating revenue through tenant leasing and event sponsorship.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Columbus

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Retail Tenant Leasing: Polaris Fashion Place generates primary revenue by leasing retail, dining, and entertainment space to national, regional, and local tenants. The mall's operator is O'Connor, which manages the property as a real estate asset.
2. Advertising & Sponsorship: The mall generates revenue through advertising placements on-property and event sponsorships. Sponsors such as Wright-Patt Credit Union sponsor events like LIVE @ Polaris and Boo & Brew. The leasing & advertising page explicitly solicits advertising interest.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Polaris Fashion Place is a super-regional shopping mall in Columbus, Ohio, offering 170+ retail, dining, and entertainment tenants alongside more than 75 annual events and guest services such as valet parking, stroller rentals, and wheelchair services. The property is managed by O'Connor Companies and operates an outdoor lifestyle area called The Yard, plus a calendar of consumer programming including concerts, holiday events, and family activities.

Product overview

Polaris Fashion Place is Central Ohio's premier shopping destination offering a single integrated retail, dining, and entertainment experience. The property features over 170 national, regional, and local retail stores, diverse dining options, and entertainment venues including Dave & Buster's, Big Air Trampoline Park, and All In Adventures escape rooms. The mall operates various signature event programs including LIVE @ Polaris (summer concert series), Boo & Brew (fall festival), KidX (children's activities), and seasonal events with Santa. Amenities include valet parking, complimentary wheelchairs, children's play areas, outdoor lifestyle spaces, family facilities, and complimentary WiFi.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Valet Parking
• Stroller Rentals
• Wheelchair Services
• LIVE @ Polaris Concert Series
• Photos with Santa
• KidX Program
• Boo & Brew Event
• Pop-up and Short-Term Leasing

Quantifiable outcome

• 170+ retail, dining, and entertainment options at a single property
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers17 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and secondary.

• Wright-Patt Credit UnioncoreGTM or Marketing PartnerWright-Patt Credit Union is the primary sponsor of LIVE @ Polaris (the outdoor summer concert series) and Boo & Brew (fall festival). Their sponsorship includes prominent logo placement on event materials, social media, and signage. They are also referenced as powering the events, indicating a financial and marketing contribution in exchange for brand visibility at a high-traffic regional destination.
• Aqua-TotsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAqua-Tots is the sponsor of KidX events at Polaris Fashion Place. KidX is the mall's children's programming initiative offering free activities for kids ages 4-11.
• Macy'scoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMacy's is a major department store anchor at Polaris Fashion Place. The store hosts featured events including Macy's Prom Fashion Show and holiday Santa photo experiences. Macy's is one of the key anchor tenants driving foot traffic to the mall.
• Saks Fifth AvenuecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSaks Fifth Avenue is a luxury department store anchor at Polaris Fashion Place, located on the lower level. It is referenced in proximity to the children's play area.
• JCPenneycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorJCPenney is a department store anchor hosting KidX events in the Kids Zone space on the upper level. The store also features JCPenney Portraits experiences (Enchanted Kingdom, Fairytale Adventures photography).
• Dave & Buster'scoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDave & Buster's is a major entertainment and dining anchor at Polaris Fashion Place. It combines arcade games, sports viewing, and food. It serves as a key host venue for LIVE @ Polaris concerts and other mall events, including the D&B Dad Games.
• Dick's House of SportcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDick's House of Sport is an experiential retail anchor offering interactive sports experiences (rock wall, golf simulators, multi-sport cage) alongside athletic merchandise. The store hosts frequent retail events including Fit Body Boot Camp, Tailgate Takeover, Back to School Spirit Day, and autograph sessions. Located at 1510 Polaris Parkway.
• Big Air Trampoline ParksecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBig Air offers family entertainment with trampolines, dodgeball courts, foam pits, and climbing walls. It is listed as an experiential retailer in the Play section of the mall website.
• All In AdventuressecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAll In Adventures provides escape rooms and team building activities. Located at Polaris Fashion Place, they host birthday parties and private events. Featured with a monthly BOGO 50% off escape rooms deal.
• Molly Woo's Asian BistrosecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMolly Woo's is a Pan-Asian dining destination at the Grand Entrance of Polaris Fashion Place. Features authentic Asian cuisine with a happy hour from 4–6 PM Monday through Friday.
• Marriott Residence Inn Columbus PolarissecondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Marriott Residence Inn is linked through the 'Stay' tab on the Polaris Fashion Place website, making it a recommended hotel for visitors. This is a strategic tourism partnership to capture out-of-town visitors.
• 93.3 The Bus & 92.3 WCOLminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal Columbus radio stations listed as media partners for LIVE @ Polaris events, providing promotional coverage and radio mentions for the summer concert series.
• COhatchsecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCOhatch is a workspace/lifestyle partner located adjacent to the Polaris Lifestyle Center near Benihana and The Cheesecake Factory. Referenced as a location for events and the Boo & Brew event.
• Cinemark PolarisminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCinemark Polaris theatres partners with KidX events to provide free movie tickets to the first 50 kids at events like KidX Paw Patrol and KidX Toy Story. This drives attendance to both the mall events and the movie theatre.
• Columbus Young Professionals ClubminorGTM or Marketing PartnerColumbus Young Professionals Club is the beneficiary of alcohol sales proceeds from LIVE @ Polaris events. This is a charitable/community partnership where the mall's event generates donations for the organization.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• CBL & Associates: REIT operating enclosed malls and open-air centers across the US. Comparable enclosed-mall operator with similar mid-market department-store-anchored tenant mix; useful benchmark for mall operating economics.
• Macerich: Public REIT owning a portfolio of super-regional malls in major US metros. Operates similar Class A centers with overlapping anchor tenant relationships and competing for the same national retail tenants.
• Tanger Inc. REIT specializing in outlet and open-air shopping destinations. Adjacent comparable for retail real estate operating model and tenant-mix economics, though format differs from Polaris's enclosed mall.
• Brookfield Properties: Major operator of super-regional malls and mixed-use destinations in the US (parent Brookfield Asset Management). Comparable in scale and tenant mix to Polaris at the property level, and a likely acquirer of high-quality mall assets.
• RPT Realty: Shopping center REIT focused on open-air and lifestyle centers in high-growth US markets. Adjacent comparable for suburban retail real estate economics in markets similar to the Columbus MSA.
• Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield: Global operator of flagship shopping destinations including Westfield-branded US malls. Comparable in positioning as a destination mall operator focused on experiential retail, dining, and entertainment mix.
• Simon Property Group: Largest US publicly traded REIT and operator of super-regional malls and premium outlets. Operates a portfolio that competes for the same national tenants (Macy's, Saks, JCPenney) and provides the benchmark for Class A mall economics.
• Taubman Centers: REIT historically focused on premium super-regional malls with luxury and aspirational tenant mixes (similar to Polaris's Saks Fifth Avenue anchor). Closest US-listed peer by tenant positioning and shopper demographic, now privately owned by Simon.

Direct peers

• The Mall at Tuttle Crossing: Enclosed super-regional shopping mall also located in the Columbus metro. Direct in-market competitor targeting overlapping suburban Columbus shopper demographics with a similar department-store-anchored tenant mix.
• Easton Town Center: Open-air lifestyle shopping center located in Columbus, Ohio. Direct competitor within the same Columbus MSA, competing for the same affluent suburban shopper with a comparable mix of national retailers, dining, and entertainment.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/polarisfashionplace
• Instagraminstagram.com/polarisfashionplace

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Polaris Fashion Place