Trends in Shopping Center Attractions | Shopping Mall In Auckland

by Anna Eliza Business Advisor

When was the last time you visited a shopping center in your area? Perhaps Black Friday or Boxing Day? Either way, visiting a shopping center becomes less necessary thanks to the prevalence of online shopping.

You can get everything you like online, from a great pair of shoes to diamond jewelry. After all, why leave your house, spend money on gas and deal with uncouth and obnoxious folks? It’s a pointless endeavor.

Does that indicate that shopping centers will die soon? Well, for one thing, rumors of its death have been greatly exaggerated. The shopping center mall may not be famous among previous Mallrats, but it will still have a long life in the future.

In fact, destinations such as the shopping mall in Auckland are still as popular as ever. However, what’s certain about the future of shopping centers is that they will transform in the next decade. Below are the predicted trends that will dictate the future of shopping center attractions.

1. There will be more pop-up shops

With more and more millennials seeking unique experiences, outdoor pop-up shops have increased substantially. Experiences like those, available for only a limited time, also offer excellent opportunities to spread brand awareness.

2. Less is more and more is home

Lifestyle and luxury brands often stick to less are more, particularly if the brand is popular for its architectural and clean lines. Keep in mind that a clean, minimalist design must reflect the brand’s identity.

Also, for today’s luxury stores, hardwood floors complemented sleek metallic surfaces while keeping the attention on the products could be a winning combo.

On the other hand, lifestyle retailers wish their customers to feel comfortable and safe. Thus, you will see more inviting home-like designs to be another growing shopping center attraction trend.

What’s more, with the continuous expansion of online shipping, in-store experiences have become progressively intimate. For instance, in-store free Wi-Fi is the new norm, which is followed by warm lounge spaces accessorized with plush carpets, well-made coffee tables, and lamps.

3. Making warmth with natural materials

Warm, natural materials are an established design trend in both shopping mall centers and retail design that shows no indications of going away.

The use of water features, stonework, and hardwood floors can bring a space to life. Those materials produce the feeling that is a refuge from daily life, which is suited for lifestyle and luxury brands.

4. Online-to-store pickup

When the coronavirus pandemic was at its peak, retailers started providing BOPIS and curbside pickup services. Although those services were introduced before the pandemic, most consumers utilized them for the first time in 2020.

On top of that, brands may convert some of their locations into fulfillment centers, eliminating the high-touch in-store experiences. Locations, as such, could only be utilized by BOPIS or can become a distribution hub, completely getting rid of the customer experience.

5. More technology in stores

Physical retail spaces should offer something unique for consumers to compete against the convenience of online shopping.

With the use of in-store technology, it’s more likely to blur the lines between those two forms of shopping. Consumers wish for a positive experience, whether they are shopping in person or online.

One out of every four consumers is an online shopper. Furthermore, such brands can successfully incorporate new shopping practices and build upon their customer experience will secure a competitive edge.

6. More indoor playgrounds

Many shopping malls in Auckland have a standard play area, but new interactive play equipment takes it to a new level. They might involve slides and stairs, climbing structures, and all types of interactive sets for children to explore and play on.

Indoor playgrounds and play are an excellent way to attract shoppers seeking play areas protected from the harsh elements and a space to socialize along with other families. With those indoor play areas and equipment, children will still have a park they can play in even when the weather is not ideal.

Also, they will love the opportunity to burn off some energy in a fun, innovative setting.

Why do Shopping Centers Incorporate Attractions?

Adding attractions into a shopping center is not an unheard-of concept. However, it has started to gain more momentum recently. That might seem like a random trend that has popped up out of nowhere. There is a good bit of logic explaining why this is occurring and why it is happening now.

The improved shopping center experience

The concept of retail-tainment was born to address the potential factors influencing shopping mall attendance. That’s the concept that shopping centers can be mixed with the standard shopping experience.

With this information, shopping centers can provide something that shoppers cannot receive when they do all their shopping online.

Millennial shopping trends

The final element that was and still is harming most brick-and-mortar stores, especially chain department stores like those often seen in shopping centers and malls, is the direction of shopping trends among millennials.

You see, millennials have smaller comparative budgets, unlike their grandparents and parents did at their ages. Also, their jobs are lower paying, and much of what income they do have goes towards paying off their student loans.

Since their budgets are already stretched so thinly, most millennials are picky about how they use their money. That makes them less apt to just browse a shopping center for fun, buying something they want on impulse.

That poses a real issue for most stores. Millennials are also the biggest generation, and while not all of them are at the age to be doing a lot of shopping, that still signifies a massive market that is not coming into the stores on a regular basis.

You will realize that the one thing nearly all those shopping mall in Auckland trends have in common is the element of interactivity. Integrating those types of activities into traditional shopping mall settings indicates they have become more appealing to modern-day families and shoppers.

Also, the concept is that such spaces will be less dedicated to shopping centers and more of a complete fun center where one can enjoy a fun activity with their friends and family, grab something to eat, and enjoy some shopping, too.