Malls are much more than a place to buy new clothes or a birthday present for your loved one. In recent years, they have become an exciting social hub serving to strengthen communities and shape urban areas.
Online shopping continues to grow even post-pandemic, meaning it has never been more important that these aggregators continue to differentiate themselves from online retailers, cementing their position in society.
Across the UK, there are around 528 shopping centers that need to stay relevant in the digital age.
What makes malls so suitable for brands and communities is the diverse footfall. From the single shopper to the young family looking for fun; Teens hanging out with millennials running errands.
Jade Wilkie, Director of Marketing at Glasgow-based The Forge shopping centre, explores how shopping centers play an important role in helping communities thrive.
events
In many UK cities and towns, events are held around shopping centres. The type of events can vary widely, but most exist with the goal of educating or entertaining the public.
These events give locals a chance to meet new people and have fun from one convenient location, providing a well-deserved break from shopping or running errands, or just something to do on a Saturday afternoon.
As the cost of living crisis deepens, more people are looking for local, budget-friendly activities that don’t compromise on fun or facts.
Many events in malls are either free or much cheaper than if they were held in a standalone location.
While they may not make a huge profit from these events, malls can still benefit from acquiring consumer data, increasing mall awareness, social media exposure, and boosting customer loyalty.
Employment opportunities
The presence of a shopping center in a town or city means large and consistent business opportunities for the local community. There are quite a few malls in every area!
Let’s take the UK’s largest shopping mall as just one example. Westfield London is spread over an area of 150,000 square meters (1,615 square metres), the same size as 30 football fields. Within the district are a whopping 255 stores, all of which need local staff to run.
In addition, there are more business opportunities other than retail. Successful malls need security personnel, facility managers, marketing teams, cleaners, and more.
These job opportunities can serve communities in a clear sense, by providing employment opportunities so that people can afford housing, food, and utilities, but also by allowing them to explore different career paths. This is especially important for the younger generation.
Jade said: “Everyone in Glasgow will already know how important the community is to us here at The Forge. We always do everything we can to support local people, local businesses and local charities, recognizing that times are very challenging at the moment and that additional opportunities are needed.
“Malls have a responsibility to support their area in any way they can, whether that be through staffing or events, and that duty cannot be shirked.”
Entertainment and hospitality
Most centers now offer offerings that go beyond stores and events. Most likely, you’ll find an interesting hub of bars and restaurants among all the stores, or at least a few fast food options.
This supports the mall’s standing in the community as it offers something that online retailers can’t…
An opportunity to catch up with family or friends while eating, or a way to refuel in the midst of a busy shopping spree.
In terms of entertainment, the larger the shopping center, the more diverse the offering. You’ll often find a cinema attached to one of these complexes, but in some cases, bowling alleys, arcades, and mini golf courses can even be offered to consumers.
These options provide families and teens with entertainment beyond game consoles and social media apps. As we have often warned, excessive use of technology can disrupt relationships and prevent the development of vital relationship and communication skills.
Communities need diverse, cost-effective and most importantly, material options when it comes to arranging social gatherings and family days out. Shopping malls offer exactly that, cementing their place in cities and metropolitan areas.
Economy
Malls play an important role in supporting the local economy, and not only through the business opportunities discussed above.
With each pool, significant value is created from the construction supply chain through direct effects, indirect effects, and induced effects. This means that before the shopping center opens its doors, it has contributed to the economy.
The presence of shopping centers creates contributions to local income tax, cost savings for government, internal investment, and additional growth.
Simply put, a strong economy means a better standard of living, which is why it is in the interest of every society to ensure that its society is as strong as possible.
Malls cannot do this alone
While malls already play such a crucial role in our societies, they cannot fulfill their responsibilities without us consumers.
These areas are based on people visiting the centers, buying from stores, and participating in activities and events. Without this support, they cannot continue to help the community in all the amazing ways that they are doing now.
You should consider this idea the next time you visit a website to make a purchase or need to plan the next fun day out with family or friends.
Malls play an important role in maintaining a healthy and happy society, especially in urban areas. Let’s help them to help us.