Posted by Westfield Garden State Plaza on Tuesday, January 23, 2018

While brick-and-mortar stores are closing and malls struggling to fill space, there is at least one N.J. shopping destination that's defying the odds -- Garden State Plaza in Paramus is one of the most lucrative malls in the country, according to a new study.

The study (done for CNBC by analysts Boenning & Scattergood) says Garden State Plaza ranks ninth in the country for revenue-producing malls and put it among the top 10 malls in the U.S. with "A" ratings and little to no vacancies.

The mall has a total asset value of $2.71 billion, which equates to $950 in sales per square foot, according to the research.

"The U.S. retail landscape has its fair share of underperforming, out-of-date properties, but the highest-quality malls are still attracting shoppers in droves, raking in more than $1,000 per square foot, well above the industry's average," said the report.

It said the best malls often include "food halls curated with local eateries, rotating pop-up exhibits to house e-commerce brands, popular off-price retailers, grocers and experiential venues."

Garden State Plaza was recently sold to European company Unibail-Rodamco in a deal by its previous owners, Westfield Corporation.

The other nearby malls on the list are Roosevelt Field Mall and Woodbury Common Premium Outlets in New York and King of Prussia Mall in Pennsylvania -- all of which are owned by the Simon Property Group.

The most lucrative mall in the country, according to the report, is the Ala Moana Center in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Jessica Remo may be reached at jremo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @JessicaRemoNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.