Macerich Co. and other mall owners have had to rethink their strategies as online shopping continues to grow in popularity.

As part of that effort, the Santa Monica company is using a digital approach of its own in an attempt to increase foot traffic at its properties. Macerich, which owns and operates 50 regional shopping centers around the country, including Santa Monica Place and Westside Pavilion, partnered this month with San Francisco’s Popsugar Inc. to use the online lifestyle publisher’s platform to get people off their couches and into brick-and-mortar stores.

Fred Yeries, vice president of digital marketing and technology advancement at Macerich, said the partnership will help its centers stay relevant and connect with customers, particularly women, across all generations – from baby boomers to millennials. The deal, he added, calls for Macerich and Popsugar to develop custom editorial content for each other’s website, with stories shared through social media, email marketing, and in-store digital displays.

The companies also launched a website last week called TheModern-Muse.com, which features photo-driven stories, such as holiday outfit and table setting ideas, with a search tool for readers to discover featured retailers at the nearest Macerich property.

“We have a very loyal customer base, so we wanted to engage her at a higher level and be even more inspirational,” Yeries said. “But the fact that a lot of the content will also appear on Popsugar.com means that we’ll also be introducing our shopping centers … to millennial women who may not shop in shopping centers.”

– Subrina Hudson