Urban Outfitters announced it was closing its only San Antonio location at the Shops at La Cantera at the beginning of 2026.
That hiatus could last less than a year, though. In June, permits were filed to put an Urban Outfitters at North Star Mall before the end of the year.
That one change is part of a broader trend. General Growth Properties (GGP), the national real estate company that owns both malls, is creating two different shopping experiences, according to Randy Holcombe, vice president of leasing at GGP.
At The Shops at La Cantera, that means more luxury brands as the outdoor mall tries to draw in wealthier shoppers from the Hill Country area. Think Gucci, Louis Vuitton, and Lucchese Bootmaker.
“Our location at Interstate-10 and Highway 1604 allows easy access from all areas of the city and particularly affluent, fast-growing neighborhoods located north and west into the Texas Hill Country,” said Brian Schroeder, senior general manager of the Shops at La Cantera.
The Shops at La Cantera will add at least a dozen market-exclusive retailers in 2026, with more on the way in 2027, he said in an email.
“We are excited about the addition of Crate & Barrel, Arhaus and Herman Miller to expand our home furnishings offering. We also continue to add luxury retailers with the future opening of Dolce & Gabbana and Amiri at La Cantera,” Schroeder wrote in an email.
For many of those retailers, it will be their only location in San Antonio.
Danny Khalil, associate director of marketing analytics at real estate research company CoStar, said malls across America have struggled with higher vacancy rates since 2010, but that hasn’t been the case for higher-end malls.
“The vacancy rate at La Cantera is sub-2%. Luxury-oriented malls have been some of the best occupied nationally,” Khalil said in June.
Now The Shops at La Cantera is doubling down by bringing in even more luxury brands.
Meanwhile, at North Star Mall, permits have been filed to renovate space for an Urban Outfitters and Japanese retail giant Uniqlo. Holcombe at GGP acknowledged that each mall is targeting a different customer experience, with North Star Mall more closely focused on casual wear.
Khalil said North Star Mall, known for the large cowboy boots sculpture outside, is closer to San Antonio’s population center and could appeal to a different group of customers when discussing Urban Outfitters’ move to the popular mall.
“The mean center of population for the San Antonio [Metropolitan Statistical Area] is right next to North Star Mall. Many of Urban Outfitters’ key demographics, such as younger urban-living professionals, live inside Loop 410,” he said.
North Star Mall did lose one of its tenants, Saks Fifth Avenue, last year, but Khalil said the additional space at North Star could appeal to businesses interested in more square footage or expansion, which isn’t always available at The Shops at La Cantera, with its lower vacancy rates.
Khalil said that North Star Mall still has relatively low vacancy rates, even though they’re not quite what The Shops at La Cantera experiences. Holcombe confirmed that North Star Mall has continued to attract visitors and noted the addition of new restaurant and dining experiences.
“We continue to see strong traffic, customer loyalty and healthy sales across categories,” he said. “Recent additions such as Round1 and Novo Brazil Brewing have been well received, and we’re looking forward to welcoming Chubby Cattle BBQ in the future.”
One group of customers both malls continue to cater to is visitors from Mexico.
Holcombe said that North Star Mall’s proximity to the airport helps attract international customers. At The Shops at La Cantera, visitors from Mexico are a core part of the mall’s customer base, as well as other customers from across South Texas and the Rio Grande Valley.
