mall ball

Pennsylvania company hopes basketball brings consumers back to malls

Wendy Tanaka
The Philadelphia Inquirer

Foot traffic at the nation's malls has been declining. But a King of Prussia start-up is trying to help shopping centers bounce back with basketball shooting ranges.

So far, Mall Ball L.P. has installed an enclosed basketball range in the Gallery at Market East mall in Center City and Prince Georges Mall outside Washington.

Mall Ball's founder and chief executive officer, James Lesser, said his company has commitments to outfit 100 malls by the end of February.

"Malls are looking at entertainment as a way to reinvigorate attendance and sales," Lesser said.

According to the International Council of Shopping Centers, the number of trips to the mall had fallen in 2003 to the 1996 level of 9.5 visits every three months. The average peaked at 10.1 in the 1998-2001 period. The council did not say why mall attendance has dropped.

The Mall Ball ranges at the Gallery and Prince Georges Mall opened last month. Each glass-enclosed range is 16 feet high, 22 feet long, and 11 feet wide.

Mall visitors pay $4 to see how many baskets they can sink in 24 seconds.

They also vie for weekly prizes. The three highest scorers of the week at each mall might win an iPod or a PlayStation console.

Each week, the highest scorer between the two malls receives a cash prize of $1,000. Mall Ball expects to raise the first-place prize to $5,000 in November.

Joseph Coradino, executive vice president of the Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust, the Philadelphia mall developer that owns the Gallery shopping center, said Mall Ball's product fits its business strategy. PREIT also has a skateboard park at its mall in Moorestown.

"As we continue to try and increase our customer appeal in our shopping centers, one area we focus on is dining and entertainment," Coradino said.

In addition to being a Mall Ball customer, PREIT is a partner: It pitches the basketball ranges to shopping centers around the country. Lesser said he is finalizing a contract with PREIT to become an investor in Mall Ball as well.

Mall Ball was founded in November 2004 with personal money from Lesser, 35, an entrepreneur who founded JDL Ventures L.L.C., an arcade-game designer and operator in King of Prussia that closed in 2003; former Safeguard Scientifics Inc. president Harry Wallasea; and venture capitalist Ira Lubert.

So far, the trio has invested at least $15 million for 100 basketball ranges that use authentic NBA backboards, rims, score clocks and hardwood floors. An emcee calls the action.

Those who shot baskets in the Gallery mall yesterday said the Mall Ball range was fun and a welcome addition.

"I can see myself doing this two times a week," said Eric Waddy, 32, who played four games in a row.

"The fun of it is to see how much I can actually hit."

Asked whether the price -- $4 for 24 seconds of shooting hoops -- was steep, Waddy said: Not really.

"If you win, you can win a prize or $1,000," he said. "It's like buying four lottery tickets."