Are big shopping centres getting better at attracting customers and what to do about it?

Has this been a trend in the states... I would say yes. to the extent of valet parking... I am not sure we have gone that far.

You have pointed out some things in your post... its about the "experience" everything is "high end" they got rid of the trashed and filled up parking lots... Put on your marketer hat for a moment, and think... what have they done? They have corrected all of YOUR pain points, and SOLD you on the idea that it is convenient.

How far of a drive is it for you? how many stores that offer the same goods do you pass that have parking right outside their front door? How many stores right in your neighborhood fit the same bill?

Now flip this all around what are YOUR clients pain points? is it the distance to the super fancy mall? wouldn't a neighborhood solution be more appealing? Is it how clean your store front is? Nothing a power washer paint and window cleaning cant fix.

I don't know what your main "store" is.. but could it be better suited in the mall? or do you prefer the 9 to 5 rut you have now not being there? you are suggesting that from 10 to 10 would be better hours?

In terms of "going online" there are many considerations to be made here. #1 is your product / service price competitive enough to compete online? #2 if the answer to #1 is "No" then are you prepared to rebrand ( for online only ) and compete on that level - or can you even financially compete with pricing here?

One of the services that I do for offline clients is store front renovations. be it the simple clean and spruce, up a notch to some color and a new sign, window decals, or go full blow with some nice lighting and awnings etc.

I also offer interior redo's, flooring, wall fixtures, display lighting etc. The environment is just as important ( well I would say MORE important ) than the products themselves. With the right budget and 1 day and a rent a truck at IKEA, my girl can make some snit happen - let me tell you.

I think in most cases the advertising part is easy... its the environment that gets them in the long run. People in general.. don't WANT to go to malls... but its the "experience" and I think better yet.. its the clean and updated environment that keeps them there. your average office or store in the hood.. its just run down beat up and old.

I can tell you right now... this is the look we use over and over. goto "The Gap" in the mall. dark wood or concrete floors. Light wood industrial looking tables in the middle sections of the store I produce with solid wood tops ( cut down 2x4 strips glued into a table top ) sent off to be planed sanded and varnished, and I use 3 in PVC pipe for the leg structure. ( I also use 2 inch PVC pipe filled with concrete for added rigidity ) and like I already said the entire wall display area can basically be purchased at IKEA. A couple of larger format images around the space and you are set ( I do these in house )

anyways.. that's what I do! lol


Hope that Helps!

I help out in a similar environment and look at the similar problems and or concerns you are talking about.

Just the other day I was talking with the caretaker guy there and he was having his usual moan about the woe is the world and the place, my reply was do not worry in 3 - 5 years this place will be closed down and a forgotten yesterdays hero if they continue to do the same as they have been.

He did look a little puzzled, so I asked him to tell me the difference from where we were to the new big centers being build down the road ( and with very similar naming and branding / such as the home makers center or abouts ). He had a few wild guesses and the and then I replied look out at your car park, it's empty, now look at theirs, it's full.

These guys where we are spending dollars now on trying to do that and revamping the center, but as best I can see is amounts to no more than pissin in the wind. A revamped sign, a lick of paint will not be what saves this place and very happy to put down on that, so a revamp in a dead and decaying place may stem but not holt the swing.

In days gone by these places were a thriving place to be located but the times have changed, these days people do all if not all of their research on line, they do not need to come to these centers anymore to find or secure the latest information.

That would sound about right, as the call i would make would also be to relocate to the larger more modern centers with full car parks, and maybe a few north south and west east per se,

The good thing about these places is you have multiple cashed up companies all running ads pointing to the new center, combined it is a powerful magnet, over and above the dying center that has a lick of paint and a dying budget and does not advertise any more or very little.

I think malls with empty spots as mentioned above ? would also be a winner along with shows and trade expos. A recent show we doubled any expections in sales and most items are above 10K so we not talking blenders and mix masters.

Back up the shows, trade, new location with the web, and other promotions such as TV radio etc and probably going to sit a lot better than sitting in a back water location.

Lastly even with all of that it is also very very important with the sales team then to be able to complete the picture, and today people do not want the kiss me and suck my toe crap, they want people who know the product / service back wards and are near experts in their field, thinking you just going to just waffle through and make sales has a low outcome.

We are surviving well where we are because of a high TV presence / advertising, strong general marketing campaign with flyer's etc, on line advertising, doing shows etc along with strong product knowledge, given that most everyone around us is dropping like ten pins, it still makes better sense to move with the times than stay put.