anchor tenant

plural anchor tenants

1. A large and popular store in a shopping mall, often a department store or retail chain, intended to attract a significant cross-section of customers to the mall.

   The anchor tenants are responsible for drawing the majority of the customers to the center or mall and will do a significant amount of advertising that also brings in customers.

   2007, Marianne Jennings, Real Estate Law, page 243

   1 more example

   As the number of viable anchor tenants continues to contract, the bargaining leverage of these anchor tenants has increased. The difficulty and expense of negotiating arrangements with them has increased correspondingly.

   1996, John R. White, Kevin D. Gray, Shopping Centers and Other Retail Properties, page 59

   Synonyms: anchor store