Everyone loves malls, and there’s no doubt about it. “Got nothing to do on the weekend? Hit the mall!” is a familiar thought for all of us. But with the advent of e-commerce, it might seem difficult to attract customers. What we might be forgetting is that malls have many advantages that other modes of retail do not, which makes it easy to increase the audience, especially when combined with the correct strategies. Here are some tips for you to increase the popularity of your mall-
Sell the right products
The main attraction in a mall is not the retail, but the cocktail of services offered- food and beverage, entertainment, and a collection of the best brands. Remember that this is your USP. Collaborate with the major restaurants in the area to boost up your cred. A multiplex with a pleasing movie-watching experience is an excellent addition to any mall. To up your entertainment quotient, you can have haunted houses, gaming centers, and even spas.
Offer an experience
People flock to malls for the experience. It isn’t just about the purchases anymore, it is about the valuable time spent with family and friends, and the memories made. Your mall must be able to create those precious moments for your customers. Forget just having a pleasant décor- you need to create a spectacle.
Create a theme and stick with it. You can have a color scheme and a quirky tagline to sell your brand. Add bright drop ceiling colors to give the place a bold and bright look. The brick and mortar stores should look attractive. When people throng the malls, they should get to see something exclusive and beautiful. The interiors should be very refined. Go for synthetic wall panels for interiors. These days decorative drop ceiling tiles also look exquisite. They spruce up the interiors without asking for much. The drop ceiling colors for malls can be in red, magenta, royal blue. They look bright and attractive.
Befriend technology
For conventionally old-school places like malls, technology can seem unnecessary. But technology is your best partner in attracting buyers. Augmented reality is becoming a massive hit in malls of late- it lets the customers imagine what a particular product might look on them without even trying it on. This enhances the buying experience great and gives a premium feel to the whole experience. Free WiFi is a great way to boost your popularity.
Focus on the décor
The décor in a mall should be well planned. The large space should neither seem barren and boring nor crowded and overdone. Incorporate the four elements of landscape design- proportion, repetition, order, and unity.
The interiors and décor of a mall matter. People will only feel drawn if they get to see beautiful and ornate designs and panels. So, go for 3d wall panels for interiors look stylish and modern. Decorative suspended ceilings on the sides are places which are very visible and gather attention instantaneously. So, use them profusely. They are available in exclusive designs.
Modular art wall panels for interiors also make the malls look extravagant and classy.
Invest in security
This is an often overlooked aspect, but this one of the highest importance. We keep hearing of several security threats in malls, and it elicits fear in the hearts of the public. Your customers would want to feel protected in your space, especially since malls attract a vast crowd. Place great emphasis on your security; thoroughly vet the security company you plan to hire.
Go online
You surely would have invested a lot of money in marketing. Add digital marketing to the mix, and you’d go places. Social media marketing is perhaps the best way to drive the audience to your mall. Staying accessible to the digital crowd will give more exposure to the events happening at your mall, and the brands available there.
Social media can give a reach much more significant than you can ever imagine. Going digital also has the added advantage of growing your brand, not just regionally, but also nationally. The top malls are all national phenomena; their praise is spoken far and wide.
Conduct unique events
Everyone loves a mall that always has something happening. Malls are not just centers of retail- they are holistic centers of both retail and entertainment. Events are the best way to promote this experience. Connect with local artists and offer them your stage. This is a win-win situation, you get an audience, and they get exposure.
You can also hold week-long celebrations for holidays or important events, like Christmas or New Years. Cosplays and conventions like Comicon are exciting and fun avenues to tap into. These are incredibly popular, and attract a lot of the young audience. Make-up and skincare workshops, pop-ups by fashion designers are also terrific ways to promote your business and reach a wide variety of people. Another way to encourage intellectual thought in your community is by conducting photo walks or displaying art galleries and screening documentaries.
Create public spaces, not just restaurants
Generally, a mall offers brands and restaurants, and while that is perfectly alright, there is so much more potential. To make your mall a big hit, you need to project yourself as an active member of the community. You need to establish yourself in your surroundings as a place that encourages interaction and supports culture. Think about libraries, co-working spaces, meeting space for communities, historical societies! The options are surely off-beat, but they are exciting. There is so much that can be created through such collaboration.
Concluding thoughts
Malls give us a wholesome mix of fun, entertainment, and shopping. In this digital age, when it might seem like people like to shop from the comforts of their homes, malls can attract customers quite easily, with their various other offerings. Also, malls can be a part of something bigger and contribute a lot to society.