It’s no secret that malls haven’t been doing well in recent years, with many malls dying due to the rise of online shopping. Nonetheless, people still enjoy visiting a shopping mall in real life when the time is right and the experience itself is pleasant. If you want to keep your mall alive, you need to make the user experience better than ever before.
There are many ways to get more people into your mall and improve the experience, but some may be more obvious than others. Whether it’s advanced indoor mapping software or taking advantage of people’s desire for Wi-Fi, there are many tricks you can pull with your design to make your space more attractive to shoppers.
Here are 5 ways to design your mall for a seamless shopping experience!
1. Make use of indoor mapping software
Modern shopping malls are using interactive maps to improve shopper experience in malls. These maps, usually found at kiosks throughout the mall, are designed to increase shopper efficiency and help people get from point A to point B as quickly as possible.
Mapping software can show a shopper the most direct route from their location to the store that they desire, making for a more seamless shopping experience and better foot traffic flow overall… there’s nothing worse than a lost shopper standing in the way of other people.
This software can also be used to help understand how customers use your mall and what stores they frequently visit. This way, you can make data-informed changes and advertise discounts, sales, and deals in the mall to shoppers as they browse for directions, maximizing your chances of making another sale.
2. Become an entertainment hub
The mall is more about the experience rather than a necessity these days. Stores alone are not going to cut it – the mall needs to be a place where people can laugh, relax, dine, drink, shop, and be entertained.
Consider cinemas, event spaces, food courts, and other forms of entertainment that could get people walking through those doors. If they’re already in the door, they’re more likely to spend that cash.
3. Use free Wi-Fi hotspots
If you’re looking for an easy way to improve people’s experiences and get people in through the door, try putting free Wi-Fi hotspots in your mall.
Not only does this make your shoppers happier, but it may encourage people nearby to visit if they’re in need of Wi-Fi.
Either way, it’s a relatively cheap and easy addition to make with nothing but upsides. You can also request that people sign up to your email list when logging on, giving you more chances to promote the mall and make a sale via their inbox.
4. Install greenery and water features
Sometimes your mall just needs to look nice. In the days of Instagram, making your shopping mall seem visually appealing is definitely a huge advantage.
Add some fountains, water features, and greenery into the space, making it more aesthetically pleasing and relaxing for shoppers.
The nicer your environment, the more likely they are to return.
5. Make some relaxing areas
It doesn’t need to be “shop shop shop” non-stop!
Try making some dedicated relaxation areas where guests can get away from the hustle and bustle, sitting down to have a nice quiet moment to themselves.
While these areas don’t help you to make money directly, they improve the shopper experience so they’re more likely to return in the near future.
Whether you use indoor mapping software or you incorporate relaxing areas into your mall, we hope you find the solution you need to improve the shopping experience for all. Good luck!
