About this episode

This episode explores the new brands and dining concepts at Mall of America, featuring insights from leasing team members Carrie Charleston and Ashley Hofmann.

Mall of America is entering an exciting new chapter, with a fresh wave of announced brands and newly opened concepts already creating major buzz among guests. From fashion and beauty to globally inspired dining and viral social media favorites, the retail landscape continues to evolve, and Mall of America is right at the center of it. In this episode, we sit down with leasing team members Carrie Charleston and Ashley Hofmann to explore what’s driving the momentum behind these exciting additions and how the team curates a mix that feels fresh, relevant, and experience-driven for today’s guests. We talk about newly announced brands including Cotton & Snow, House of Seoul, Kiokii, Studs, and Lulus, along with recently opened concepts like Banana Republic, KPOP NARA, DUCK, Sweet Crunch Tanghulu, and Roni’s Mac Bar. Along the way, Carrie and Ashley share insights into emerging retail and dining trends, what makes a brand the right fit for Mall of America, and which openings have generated the biggest guest reactions so far. 1:00 Prepping for the largest retail leasing conference of the year, ICSC in Las Vegas 4:30 Recently opened fan favorites, refined fashion to K-pop inspired…

People in this episode

Guests: Carrie Charleston, Ashley Hofmann

Topics covered

• retail trends
• new brands
• Mall of America
• dining concepts
• guest experiences

Keywords

• Mall of America
• retail
• new brands
• dining
• fashion
• K-pop
• guest reactions

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Mall of America

Products: Cotton & Snow, House of Seoul, Kiokii, Studs, Lulus, Banana Republic, KPOP NARA, DUCK, Sweet Crunch Tanghulu, Roni’s Mac Bar

More episodes of So Much More, A Mall of America® Podcast

• Ep. 150: Coloring Outside the Lines: Crayola Experience MOA Celebrates 10 Years · May 27, 2026 · 30 min
• Ep. 148: Inside Minnesota’s Growing K-pop Scene · May 13, 2026 · 27 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the So Much More, A Mall of America® Podcast podcast page.