The tenant mix is one of the major factors that influence the performance of planned shopping centres. Past research dealing with this topic resulted in rules of thumb about how to create a tenant mix that leads to the highest pedestrian flow and the highest rent income. Less is known about the way developers actually approach the variety and location of retailers within a shopping centre. It is hypothesised that the differences between the ideal tenant mix and the actual tenant mix created by developers can be explained through factors that are related to the developer's decision-making process. In this paper the decision making process of developers that deal with the tenant mix puzzle has been made transparent. The results are based upon findings from indepth interviews with developers. The conclusion outlines different types of tenant mix policies of developers.