Retailers are fighting for the costumers -- and therefore income -- every single day. This is especially true during the holiday season. This year, shoppers are reportedly planning to spend $1,449 per person, 36% above initial holiday spending estimates in September. While more shopping activity is great news, brick-and-mortar retailers are contending with other storefronts, both physical and virtual, to capture shoppers and their dollars.
By creating an unmatched experience anchored with events -- and one that can be shared on social media -- retailers will see more people and more spending at their properties. Here is how retail property managers can attract shoppers this holiday season.
Creating a space shoppers can enjoy
When a person wants to go shopping, they have a choice to make every time about where to go, and in most towns and cities across the U.S., shoppers have a lot of options. During the holidays when more shoppers are making that decision, retailers should leverage events to help shoppers make the right choice.
Themed gathering spaces, family-friendly events and holiday entertainment activities elevate the retail experience from a simple transaction to an adventure for an entire family or group of friends. When properly executed, the activities and events can keep shoppers onsite for longer and increase per trip spending.
Property managers are specifically targeting events and experiences that cannot be replicated on the internet. Retail experiences spaces can only be enjoyed at the property, and that makes the brick-and-mortar property irreplaceable.
Offering more than Santa's Village
For many, a holiday event at a local shopping center will immediately evoke images of Santa Claus perched in an armchair, surrounded by a long line of children. But successful holiday programming is so much more than a Santa photo-op. Events and entertainment create a destination that stretches beyond the local community. The retail center becomes a place that people seek out, travel to experience and can share with their friends and family on social media -- further promoting the retail space and the event.
Property managers are getting creative with these experiences. Events, for example, might support a community need. In Maui, Hawaii, Maui Mall Village hosts the Maui Food Bank Holiday Drive to combat food insecurity, which has been a major local challenge following the wildfires in 2023. The mall partnered with the local food bank to accept donations in November and December. The events can also support small businesses in addition to larger retailers. This is true for Washington DC's Union Station, which hosts a Holiday Market for two weeks in December. The market features local artisans and vendors, along with live entertainment.
Hosting "Grinchmas" is also an increasingly popular activity -- as it often entails partnering with retailers, local museums and libraries. A newer event for Park Plaza in Little Rock, Arkansas, visitors can partake in photo opportunities with "the green one," receive free Dippin Dots, participate in a themed activity with the Children's Library-CALS, and even work with the Museum of Discovery to make green slime.
Santa isn't completely out, either. However, centers should elevate the Santa experience to maximize the value and create a truly standout event that attracts people. The Rosedale Center in Roseville, Minnesota, hosts a Santa Welcome Party in partnership with the Children's Theatre Company, which includes appearances from The Grinch, Mrs. Claus and, of course, Santa. The event has quickly become a local tradition.
Other events build on different holiday traditions, like tree lighting ceremonies. The historical Quincy Market Tree Lighting at Faneuil Hall Marketplace in Boston is attended by thousands every year, including city officials, community members and tourists. Ice skating rinks, like one at River Ridge Mall in Lynchburg, Virginia or in Stony Point Fashion Park in Richmond, Virginia, can include themed nights like ugly Christmas sweaters, Frozen and dress like an elf or reindeer.
Using social media to promote events
Curating the right events for each location is only part of the equation. Property managers are also aggressively marketing each holiday experience on social media to generate publicity and drive people to the property. Afterall, these events are public, and retailers want the public to come.
Social media promotion helps to reach new audiences and attract different cohorts of shoppers to the property. When shoppers travel to the retail center for the event, activity or experience, it increases the dwell time and spending per customer. This helps property managers ensure the success of the program and drive spending at the property. That, of course, is the ultimate goal.
This year, retailers have the opportunity to capture significant profits from increased holiday spending activity. By working closely with property management and implementing a thoughtful programming campaign that harness the power of holiday spirit, retailers will see the benefits to their bottom line while helping build a stronger community.