Valley shoppers will soon be able to sip while they shop.

Shoppers who are interested in enjoying an alcoholic beverage while they walk the malls of Desert Ridge Marketplace and Tempe Marketplace will soon be able to do so.

Vestar, the owner of both centers, said the new open-container liquor program will lead to more sales for its tenants and is a much-needed amenity for these centers’ communities. Shoppers will be able to consume beer, a cocktail, or a glass of wine as the stroll in and out of the stores.

“We say it helps everyone by increasing time spent at the shopping center, which increases everyone’s sales,” Pat McGinley, the president of management services for Vestar, told the Business Journal. “You can get a drink at a movie theater and walk around resorts and golf courses with a cocktail, so why not retail centers?”

Vestar says they were given the green light to do so by the legislation they have been trying to get passed by the Arizona State Legislature for years. The bill was passed and signed by Gov. Doug Ducey made it official when he signed the bill into law, allowing certain shopping centers to have open containers on the property.

The pilot program has ended, and it is officially legal to allow for drinking at outdoor malls on a permanent basis.