In an age where online shopping makes up for the majority of non-essential goods purchases (clothes, books, entertainment etc), shopping centres are looking for new ways to attract footfall and repeat visits to their centres. In this blog, we will be explaining how mall entertainment can be utilised as part of a great strategy to not only drive footfall, but maintain it by encouraging repeat visits as well.
The term “Mall Entertainment” covers a wide range of attractions and experiences designed to engage visitors beyond shopping, whether that is a play zone for children and families, live performances that cater for everybody, or even exciting brand activations or product launches. Mall Entertainment used to be a nice addition to enhance the shopping experience and was treated more like a novelty as it wasn’t essential, whereas now it is a strategic tool to increase dwell time and drive more footfall into the centre.
Providing entertainment in a shopping centre can transform the space from being just a retail space to an events destination; a place where people can look to for entertainment and activity, driving repeat visits. Whether it’s just a small pop-up to a bigger seasonal activation, offering Mall entertainment can help shopping centres differentiate themselves from competitors, attract a bigger audience and boost overall spending.
When creating your Mall Entertainment, make sure to create shareable moments! Design entertainment experiences that will encourage shoppers to create UGC (User Generated Content) and are “Instagrammable”, we have found that experiences that are inviting tend to engage people to take pictures and share them online, which can amplify reach and draw new audiences to your centre. Live entertainment acts such as Stiltwalkers are extremely popular for shopping centre events, as they are super friendly, engaging and will always encourage shoppers to take photos with them!
Speaking of sharing online, an entertainment experience is only effective if people know about it! Make sure to use targeted marketing before the event to spread the word. This could include email campaigns, social media posts, paid social media ads and signage throughout your centre.
Mall Entertainment is more than just a trend, it’s an effective way to integrate engaging, relevant and memorable experiences into your customer’s shopping experience. By offering unique events, you can stay ahead of the curve whilst increasing footfall and fostering customer loyalty in an increasingly digital world. Creating unforgettable experiences has never been easier when you book with Odin Events, we have been providing Shopping Centre and Mall Entertainment for over 15 years, to centres nationwide. See our last blog for more seasonal entertainment ideas for shopping centres or simply click here to get in touch with a member of our team today!