Shopping-mall tycoon David Simon criticized J. Crew CEO Mickey Drexler after the merchant complained loudly at an industry panel about stiff rents and poorly managed malls.
“We pay a lot of rent,” Drexler said during a retail seminar hosted Monday by the investment bank Financo, adding, “I don’t see any excitement or improvement in 98%” of the nation’s shopping malls.
“I’ll take all your space back right now,” Simon shot back, eliciting howls of laughter from the crowd of more than 300 industry insiders.