Simon Property Group Inc., the biggest mall owner in the U.S., has been in talks with Amazon.com Inc. to turn some of its anchor department-store spaces into Amazon fulfillment centers, according to people familiar with the matter.

For Amazon AMZN, -1.78% , more fulfillment centers near residential areas would speed up the crucial last mile of delivery. For Simon SPG, +1.61% , turning over what was once prime mall space to fulfillment centers shows it would be willing to relinquish an essential way to bring in more mall traffic to secure a steady tenant.