Whether or not you intend for them to, things your shoppers see have a visual impact on them. It’s important to make a good first impression.

Very often, wayfinding and security fall under the operational umbrella. If your mall’s signage isn’t helping drive traffic, and your security lacks perception, then it’s likely affecting your marketing initiatives.

Examining the shopping center industry’s response after the 9/11 attacks. Many centers chose to forego Halloween celebrations, while most others proceeded with caution.

Northway Mall spread its newly adopted no-smoking message by printing it on matchbooks and handing them out to adult shoppers. Instead of matches, shoppers found Lifesavers inside.

After an earthquake, Glendale Galleria’s parking garage had to be rebuilt, adding to an already negative perception that it was difficult to park at the mall. A  promotion was developed to get the word out before the holiday season. Giveaways—including a new car, reserved parking spaces, and gift certificates—were promoted through direct mail sent to 135,000 households. Radio ads, greeters, and signage all helped reinforce the promotion. The campaign resulted in a 15% increase in sales, as well as a fresh database for future advertising thanks to 80,000 contest entries.

Rivercenter, like many downtown malls, wasn’t a stranger to complaints about traffic and parking. A two-hour free parking program showed that it wasn’t fulfilling its shoppers’ needs, so Rivercenter mailed out brochures featuring 12 free all-day parking passes, along with discount coupons and VIP cards. The program generated an average of 31 cars per day, creating $554,778 in potential sales. Overall mall sales increased 20 percent.

Giveaway whistles help keep Mayfair Shopping Centre’s parking lot safe.