E-commerce changed the reason people go to a shopping center: it's no longer just to buy, but to spend time, meet up, eat, walk and bring the kids. Projects that understood that shift have become de facto public spaces; those that didn't are fighting for foot traffic with discounts. Meanwhile, behind every store are hundreds of workers —sales staff, cleaners, security, cooks— spending long shifts on their feet with nowhere decent to rest or eat. Fitwel, created by the U.S. CDC and GSA, has a dedicated retail scorecard that certifies what makes a commercial space healthy for everyone: walkable and bikeable links to the neighborhood, benches and places to pause, accessible drinking water, lactation rooms, play areas, healthy food options, smoke-free areas, staff break areas and clear emergency protocols. It's a concrete argument for shopping center operators, strip centers and mixed-use projects.
Assessment: we evaluate the shopping center or project against Fitwel's retail scorecard, reviewing access points, common areas, visitor services and staff areas.
Registration and strategy: we register the project with Fitwel and set the target level, from one to three stars, together with management and the leasing team.
Implementation: we coordinate seating, water stations, lactation rooms, play areas, bike parking and staff break spaces, and draft policies on healthy food, smoke-free spaces and emergencies.
Certification: we submit the documentation, secure the seal valid for three years and prepare materials to communicate it to visitors, brands and investors.
Fitwel charges a registration fee and a per-building certification fee, with special terms for portfolios, useful for operators with several shopping centers. Since it doesn't require on-site performance testing, the total cost is well below WELL's. Physical investment usually focuses on seating, water stations, lactation rooms, play areas, bike parking and staff break spaces. The process takes 4 to 8 months for existing buildings, and certification is valid for three years.
Yes. Fitwel has a retail scorecard designed for commercial spaces, assessing both the visitor experience and the conditions of the people who work in the building.
A differentiating argument to attract visitors, brands and financing, plus concrete improvements in the day-to-day experience. Since Fitwel has no prerequisites or on-site testing, an existing center can be certified through minor upgrades and good operating policies.
Retail certification is designed for the entire building or center. For brands with standalone stores, we assess during the initial review whether it makes sense to certify the space or join the center's certification.
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