At first glance, it might look like a toy store for children. But inside Slimeatory, tubs of rainbow-colored goo are getting poked, stretched, swirled, scented and topped like sundaes — not just by kids, but also by their parents, teens and couples on date night.
The concept may seem playful, but it reflects a serious shift in how retail spaces are evolving. Slimeatory began eight years ago on YouTube, where more than 5 million subscribers watch founder Ameerah Navalua, now 21, mold slimes — soft, doughy compounds with textures ranging from whipped to jelly-like and scents that evoke flowers or candy — in front of a cardboard set in her family’s living room.
Demand for those videos prompted Navalua to open the first Slimeatory store in 2023, a 4,000-square-foot flagship in Gilbert, Arizona. In March of this year, she followed with a second, slightly smaller 3,000-square-foot location at Brea Mall in Orange County, California, and "my goal is to have one in at least every state — and then go international,” Navalua told CoStar News.
With help from her mom, Navalua took on several challenges to turn the niche concept into a brick-and-mortar reality. The hurdles involved stumbling through lease negotiations without a broker to expanding during a time of increased competition from retail rivals including Kawaii Slime Company, Slime Factory and Slime Kitchen.
These slime-selling tenants offer a chance for mall owners to bring in niche concepts including experiential retailers that are again in demand in the wake of the pandemic, as some consumers prefer to spend money on experiences and memories rather than goods from traditional stores.
The store seeks to blend entertainment, education and commerce. Customers build their own slimes at a DIY bar, take part in sensory science classes and linger at communal tables to play with their nonedible creations — a hands-on model "that turns a purchase into a shared activity," said Nicole Larson, national retail research manager at Colliers.
Built for play
Slimeatory products are developed at a warehouse in Arizona. Shoppers choose a base — butter, jelly, clear or cloud — then customize with scents, colors and up to five toppings like faux sprinkles or clay fruit slices. Tables in the store invite people to sit and sculpt, turning the space into a hybrid play lab and boutique.
“It’s like a candle you can play with,” Ameerah said. “And it doesn’t stick to your hands — unless you want it to.”
The appeal extends beyond children. Teens use slime as a stress reliever, while parents bring their kids and end up making their own creations. Customers with sensory needs say it provides therapeutic engagement.
“We’ve even had couples celebrate their anniversary here,” said Jeddah Navalua. “And one guy told us this was the only thing his wife asked for.”
Ameerah, known online as “Just Ameerah,” started making slime videos as a child, with her first set made from cardboard and her first ingredients scavenged from the bathroom.
“I’ve never gotten bored of it,” she said. “Even when I’m not filming, I’m still playing with slime.”
Learning to lease
The family opened both Slimeatory locations without using a broker and had to learn the commercial real estate world on the fly. Their first lease, at SanTan Village in Arizona, came with no incentives or tenant improvements — and placed them in a low-traffic area of the mall.
“We had no idea what to ask for,” said Jeddah. “We just wanted to get the doors open.”
Even so, fans found them.
“The only reason Slimeatory worked there was because of the fan base,” Ameerah said. “People drove hours just to find us.”
The Brea Mall location, by contrast, came with better visibility and heavier foot traffic. Now the family is exploring smaller formats, between 1,000 and 1,500 square feet, to expand the concept more efficiently.
“We’ve had other malls reaching out,” Jeddah said. “But we’re still learning how to grow smart — not just fast.”
Unicorn Butter, Marshmallow Goo
Slimeatory is part of a growing field of slime-themed competitors entering retail spaces.
Kawaii Slime Company opened a cart in October at Downtown Disney in Anaheim, California, selling wild-scented slimes with names like Unicorn Butter and Marshmallow Goo. The kiosk is part of a broader post-pandemic shift for the open-air center that has brought in more interactive, photo-friendly tenants; Nectar Life, a beauty store where customers can create their own whipped soap and bath soaks, plans to open soon at the mall.
Miami-based Slime Factory has opened stores that range from 3,000 to 5,000 square feet in four Simon-owned shopping centers; and franchisor The Slime Kitchen, based in San Francisco, has 10 locations across California, Iowa, Nevada and Texas.
Others are creating large-scale attractions. The Sloomoo Institute, which calls itself an immersive experience rather than a store, has expanded to Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta and Houston since its 2019 launch in New York. Sloomoo, with slime vats and a $34 ticket price, generates 85% of revenue from ticket sales rather than products.
Despite rising competition, most firms are opting today for pop-ups or temporary installments over permanent storefronts.
Malls get tactile
At Brea Mall, landlord Simon is redeveloping a former Sears site into a walkable district with housing, restaurants and event spaces. Across the country, landlords are filling space once occupied by traditional retail chains with immersive experiences that encourage longer visits and higher engagement.
“Experiential tenants are becoming a critical component in repositioning malls,” Larson said.
Closings from Bed Bath & Beyond, Big Lots and Forever 21 have created opportunities for newer formats. In their place are tenants like the Museum of Illusions, the Museum of Ice Cream, and kids’ concepts like Sloomoo — attractions that drive traffic and encourage repeat visits.
Slimeatory fits that mold, offering a flexible footprint, a built-in customer base and social media appeal. The stores feel more like creative studios than shops, with customers often spending an hour or more playing before they purchase, Ameerah said.
“It’s not about buying something and leaving,” she said. “It’s about staying and playing.”
Leasing activity has improved since the pandemic, but mall traffic and in-store sales still lag behind pre-2020 levels in many markets. Experiential concepts like Slimeatory face the added challenge of maintaining novelty while justifying higher rents and labor costs, especially as inflation weighs on entertainment budgets.
From screen to storefront
Once best known for viral entertainment, YouTube has become an incubator for retail and brand concepts by giving creators direct access to large audiences, built-in market feedback, and low-cost ways to test and promote products. Viewers don’t just see ads — they follow stories, personalities and behind-the-scenes content that amplify product launches.
Some of today’s most recognizable creator-born brands — such as Emma Chamberlain’s Chamberlain Coffee, MrBeast’s Feastables snacks and Huda Kattan’s Huda Beauty — began on YouTube, where each founder built trust and demand long before selling their first item.
According to Nielsen’s April 2025 report, YouTube accounted for 12.4% of all U.S. streaming TV viewership — ahead of Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon Prime Video. Streaming overall now makes up 44.3% of television consumption.
With 239 million users in the U.S. alone, YouTube is second only to Facebook in reach — and its creators are turning viewership into foot traffic. Ameerah has 5.5 million subscribers, and many of them now visit her stores in person to meet her.
“There are plenty of influencer brands in big-box stores,” she said. “But actual storefronts? I think there are only a few of us doing that right now.”