Getting people to come to you is a challenge when just about every shopping and retail activity can be done online. But nothing can beat the atmosphere of a thriving, people-centric shopping mall, where visitors can shop, relax, converse, eat and drink, and enjoy leisure activities. Why not check out the synthetic ice rink rent options from KwikRink, and provide your customers with an experience they can’t get from behind a keyboard.
Malls in decline across the United States
If you are concerned that it’s just your local mall or shopping center where through traffic is slow, don’t worry – yours is not unique. Across the US, thousands of retailers closed their doors in 2019, and malls are looking for other ways to enhance through traffic. Discounts and special deals can only go so far, though, and so mall owners are looking at innovative means to bring customers away from their keyboards and inside the brick-and-mortar stores.
Why do people visit malls?
- The beauty of shopping malls has always been the ability to bring a range of venues together under one roof. If you wanted to buy equipment for a camping trip, for example, you could visit this store for tents, the one next door to it for camping clothing, and the one just a few shops away for camping snacks. And even though the competition is always a factor, that wouldn’t necessarily stop the salespeople in one store recommending that you check out another in the mall for equipment that you might need and that this store didn’t carry.
- Never underestimate the social experience of visiting the mall. Malls offer more than just multiple shopping venues in a small, contained area. Most also offer the likes of food halls, coffee shops, and leisure activities like movie complexes, meaning that you always had something to do once you had finished your shopping.
- The atmosphere in a mall is another popular selling feature. Think about the last time you visited the mall during a holiday season. Chances are you heard festive music playing and could smell the aroma of delicious holiday-type snacks – sensory experiences that no keyboard shopping experience could match.
What is keeping customers from physically visiting these stores?
The ease of online shopping, and the sheer availability of just about any product, from anywhere, is both a blessing and a curse to the American consumer. It takes only a few minutes to think about a product need, research where to buy it, how much, who is offering it at the best price, and most crucially, whether it can be delivered. With this type of near-instantaneous ability to satisfy almost any consumer’s need or desire, it’s little wonder that stores are struggling to compete.
Does this mean the end for retailers who don’t have an online store?
It doesn’t have to be. Your customers are still there, but to get them to leave their keyboards and visit you in person, you need to have a hook. And that’s why you have to offer them something that an online store can’t.
What can retailers do about the declining numbers?
A visit to the mall needs to be more than just a shopping experience because, as we know, most goods can be purchased online. So if you want to attract customers to a physical store, the best way to do so is to enhance the services the mall offers. Once customers are physically at the mall, they can shop all they want.
So what kind of services?
We are a nation of people who value leisure activities, but no one said that we could only do these in or around the home. We go to movies, we visit gyms, and we play sports. And we love any sort of sporting or leisure activity that we can do all year round, and at practically any age.
What activities are thriving in the US
When it comes to sports, we are a nation of people who enjoy both watching and participating in sports. While nothing can knock American football or baseball off the top of the popular list, coming in the top five is ice hockey, a game in which we excel. And thanks to the development of synthetic ice-skating rinks, we no longer have to wait until the right time of the year to get in practice.
Is ice skating really that popular?
It doesn’t matter if you want to skate for fun, for fitness, to play for the national league, or to qualify for the Winter Olympics. Ice skating is one of the most popular sporting activities in the United States, with an estimated 10 million people enjoying a regular glide. Skating is a hobby the entire family can enjoy, all year round as long as there is a suitable rink nearby.
So why bring rinks into shopping malls or town centers? We want people to shop, not skate!
Yes, the idea of retail outlets is to sell products. But if your retail outlets are not seeing regular traffic, then your sales will plummet, as has been shown by the failure of so many stores across the States in the past few years, and the general decline in malls. Ice skating is an experience that few people can find in their homes and one which offers benefits ranging from fitness, to watching others showing off their skills, to team building, and for pure entertainment.
Sounds like an expensive option
A synthetic ice-skating rink is easy to install, low on maintenance cost, and can be tailored to your specific needs. It doesn’t matter if you want to create a temporary rink for a special occasion or have it as a permanent feature. Our products are safety-tested, and we are continually looking for ways to improve your customers’ skating experience.
We don’t have space
Sure you do. Rinks don’t have to be enormous to attract customers. Turn a misfortune around by utilizing space where shops have had to close and build your rink there.
Put an end to the decline
Investing in your customers’ health and happiness is an investment in your business future. So get in touch with KwikRink to find out how you can turn that unused space into a valued addition to your shopping mall.
