nigeria guide - Nigeria Shopping Mall Guide

NIGERIA

SHOPPING MALL GUIDE

ISSUE 01 | APRIL-JUNE, 2017

More Visitors, Less Shoppers Nigeria’s retail industry in the time of recession

THE BUSIEST MALL IN NIGERIA

INSIDE:

A to Z of Shopping Malls in Nigeria

@5 “Prospective shoppers want a mall that provides retail stores that caters to their needs, entertainment and dining options. The ability to provide this on a consistent basis separates ICM from others’

Eniola Ositelu

Marketing Manager, Ikeja City Mall.

Nigeria Shopping Mall Guide

In This Edition 6 MALL BULLETIN 8 IKEJA CITY MALL CELEBRATES 5 YEARS BRANDS AT THE MALL 12 14 A-Z OF SHOPPING MALL IN NIGERIA 22 FEATURE STORY 26 RETAIL WORLD

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Nigeria Shopping Mall Guide W

e are pleased to present to investment that led to an explosion you the maiden edition of in shopping mall development. the Nigeria Shopping Mall Guide. The grocery chain signed on with various developments as anchor Over the last decade the retail tenant and subsequently began industry in Nigeria has experienced operations at completion. a huge transformation. Outdoor markets which have erstwhile been Ikeja City Mall, one of the many the main avenue for shoppers to shopping centres that came up as avail themselves of their desired a result of this new industry drive groceries, clothing and other wares is marking their 5th anniversary have ceded a large number of their this year. The centre has become a patrons to shopping malls. big part of the community and the lives of shoppers over the period The shopping malls came with of its existence. an all in one solution. Comfort, convenience and security were just It seems Ikeja city mall is getting a few of the benefits the shopping it right, tenant occupancy and mall had over alternatives. shopper footfall are amongst the highest in the country. We The market shift started with interviewed the mall’s marketing the Palms mall in Lekki, Lagos. manager to gain some insight into At the time, the Palms had it all. the performance of the mall and its Entertainment such as cinema, anniversary celebration plans. bowling alley, restaurants and bars as well as Groceries, clothes, This edition contains an A-Z of electronics, perfumes and toiletries Nigerian shopping malls so far. from different brands all under the The list will be updated frequently same roof. as time passes to reflect new information and development The entrance of Shoprite, the across the country. largest grocery chain in Africa The articles and sections included into the Nigerian market was a in the maiden edition are just the decisive factor in attracting the birthing of a body of information

that we hope will grow along with the sector to become truly formidable. The edition contains a mix of international and local features which we hope you will find useful and informative.

Our intention is to document the growth and evolution of the young sector of the retail industry in Nigeria for the benefit of all stakeholders. The publication will be available quarterly to all on our mailing list and can also be downloaded by any visitor to our website. From the entire team responsible for NSMG, we hope you enjoy this edition and come out being more informed on the opportunities and happenings within the sector. We would love to receive your comments in form of emails, tweets and posts regarding any of our articles or Nigerian Shopping Malls in general. Best Regards, Mojisola Fagade. Editor.

Editorial Team

Arts By Bisola Michal

Exhibited at Ikeja City Mall on the 14th -17th April 2017.

EDITOR Mojisola Fagade

PHOTOGRAPHY Jimmy Junior – Jimi Signatures

CONTRIBUTORS Tayo Osikoya, Wale Adegoke, Babs Fagade.

GRAPHICS Ayodele Osindele- Emperor of Creativity

PUBLISHED BY Nimbus media Limited

DISCLAIMER: The opinions expressed by authors and contributors of NSMG are not necessarily those of the Editors or Publishers. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form without prior permission of the Publisher.


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MALL BULLETIN

Novare Apo Mall Holds health awareness The program is the first leg of the Bi-annual health awareness campaign by Novare malls, and it was held in collaborations with some Health Partners.

A potpourri of happenings around Malls in Nigeria. one of the flagship restaurants and 5 others got movie tickets. Also, every month, a Shopper will be rewarded with a grand prize and 4 other shoppers will get gift cards.

IKEJA CITY MALL celebrates Fifth year anniversary in grand style

On the fifth of every month A shopper will be selected at random, to be rewarded with a gift card worth N20,000 to shop in any of the participating stores. The participating stores are; Shoprite, Ennzo, Cash ‘n’ Carry, Essenza, Silverbird Cinemas, Da Viva, Maybrands, Harmony Real Plus, Bheerhugz Cafe, Mango and Wrangler. ICM, an A- grade retail space located in the capital of Lagos state, Ikeja – Alausa with over 90 stores of Indigenous and international retail brands. The 23,000 square metre Mall is one of the fastest growing malls in Nigeria.

Novare Apo mall held its health awareness program at the mall on the 20- 25th of Febuary 2017. The program is to remind the public on the need to stay health conscious and check-ups ought to be done often or periodically.

The next Health awareness would be held in September at the mall. ¶

Arts By Bisola Michal Wows at ICM Nigerian artist ‘Art By Bisola Michal’ thrilled shoppers and Art lovers at Ikeja City Mall on the 14th -17th April 2017, for a four day Art exhibition with Live art movements and paintings.

I

Since its opening in 2011, the mall has proven itself with an average footfall of over 600,000 monthly In its 5 years, ICM has been known not only as a choice destination for shopping, but also an entertainment hub for fun seekers with events such as CATWALK IN ICM, a fashion show for fashion enthusiasts and Shoppers to present the latest collections from tenants trading in must-have fashion items, amongst other The celebration Kicked off with the mall offering season –themed events. ¶ a lucky winner with five friends, a meal at Spurs, keja City Mall popularly known as ICM celebrates its fifth year of operation at the mall in Lagos. The all-year round event started in January, and it is slated to run till November 2017 According to the management of the mall, the giveaway is to reward shoppers for their purchase and patronage for the 5 years the shopping mall has been in existence.

The Health Service Providers Partners includes : CHISTRE (Centre for HIV/AIDS & STD Research), who offered free HIV counselling & screening, distribution of condoms and gave referrals where necessary, NMEP (National Malaria Elimination Programme) under the Federal Ministry of Health offered Malaria testing and administration of drugs, HealthPlus Pharmacy did Blood pressure / Body Mass Index check and Counselling, Rachel Eye Centre did Eye checkup, and Ivory Dental Care Limited did Dental check ups

The art exhibition was held in commemoration of five Years anniversary of Ikeja City Mall, “I Have been able to show people my way of art; I don’t just work on my canvas I paint on anything interesting. I have been able to show few people another dimension of art. My artistry is everything. My art is MY holiday! Said Bisola Michal Lead Artist Arts by Bisola Michal. ¶

It was a showcase of Live, moving arts, where she painted directly on her models, clothing accessories and walls at the mall.

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Novare Apo Mall Holds Health Awareness

Ikeja City Mall

celebrates 5years

The Marketing Manager of Ikeja City Mall, Eniola Ositelu, in this interview with Mojisola Fagade says “Prospective shoppers want a mall that provides retail stores that caters to their needs, entertainment and dining options. The ability to provide this on a consistent basis separates ICM from others”

Ikeja City Mall opened in 2012. How has it changed since the opening date? It was in 2011 actually December to be specific. It started off with one of the Anchor tenants (Shoprite) and a couple of other tenants back then but ICM has transformed since then to the home of a plethora of international and indigenous retail brands under one roof.

What’s ICM’s tenant selection strategy? Basically it’s ensuring there’s something on there for everyone. Quality, brand equity, and experience plays a vital role as well.

ICM is not only visited for shopping, It’s also known for its numerous and interesting events. What Today, ICM is already one of is the strategy behind the the largest shopping malls events, and how do you in Nigeria. What do you characterize your event and consider the greatest asset the timing? of your shopping Centre? It’s actually a combination of things. The management team, the mall’s strategic location, relentless marketing and a superb tenant mix. These amongst other factors are reasons it remains the busiest mall in Lagos.

It’s the malls positioning. As the choice destination for shopping, entertainment and Leisure. With that as a guide, the rest is following up on activations or events to ensure the Centre lives up to that strapline. The timing isn’t cast in stone although festive periods are regulars.

Eniola Ositelu, Marketing Manager, Ikeja City Mall. Contd. on next page.

Interview


What’s the future for ICM? Very Very Bright.

What are the prospects or projection for ICM in the next 3 years or 5 years? As I mentioned earlier, the concept of shopping malls is still at its early stages in Nigeria so it can only continue to expand. For ICM the opportunities are boundless. As trends are anticipated and moves are made to adjust accordingly, it can only continue to thrive even beyond expectations.

What’s the Mall’s communication strategy?

The tenant mix is ideal as it cuts across demographics that frequent the mall. There’s just a universal rule that applies to big A grade retails spaces worldwide all things being equal. No center management for instance will prefer or deliberately fill the mall with a significant number of tenants trading in the same categories (depending on the size of the mall) neither will a visitor or shopper be keen on frequently visiting a mall filled with the same of the same. It’s like stocking only oranges at the fruit section in a supermarket.

What makes ICM stand out in comparison to other shopping malls?

Prospective shoppers want a mall that provides retail stores that caters to their needs, entertainment and dining options. The ability to provide this on a consistent basis separates ICM from others. The blueprints for the communication Its location is in the heart of the strategy are basic. Unique visitors and target central business district audiences are identified or observed and the appropriate platforms are maximized to reach them.

ICM has over 80 stores, including local and international retail brands. How can you describe the tenant mix of ICM, and how does the Mall management balance them?

and residential homes. It also has a massive parking lot for all seasons.

How do you evaluate market of shopping centers in Nigeria? Still at its growth stage but there’s room for improvement and vast opportunities still abound.

What’s in for shoppers as ICM celebrate its fifth

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year anniversary? Lots of amazing prizes, gifts, gift cards to shop in participating stores and much more . 5 winners will be rewarded end of every month and a lucky shopper will get gift cards on the 5th of every month till November. That amongst other prizes. A look at the ICM website ( www.ikejacitymall.com.ng) or the blog (ikejacitymall.blogspot.com.ng) will shed more light into the 5th year anniversary ¶


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DIGITAL OUT OF HOME ADVERTISING

BRANDS AT THE MALL

Ikeja City Mall | Palms Mall Lekki | Adeniran Ogunsanya Mall Festival Mall, Festac | Heritage Mall, Ibadan | Apo Mall , Abuja Novare Lekki Mall | Port Harcourt Mall Polo Park Mall, Enugu | Jabi Lake Mall, Abuja 08075223580 | 08023064788 | 08027800402

www.nimbus.com.ng

A-Z of Shopping Malls in Nigeria A comprehensive list of all major shopping malls in Nigeria

a

NAME OF MALL:

NAME OF MALL:

Adeniran Ogunsanya Mall

Akure Mall

LOCATION: 84, Adeniran Ogunsanya Surulere, Lagos.

LOCATION: Former Owena Motels on Igbatoro Road, Akure Ondo state.

YEAR OPENED: 2010

YEAR OPENED: 2015

NUMBER OF STORES: 110 Stores

NUMBER OF STORES: 50 stores

MAJOR STORES: Shoprite, Levi’s, Nike.

MAJOR STORES: Shoprite, Pep, The FilmHouse.

MANAGEMENT: Top Service Limited

MANAGEMENT: Top Service Limited

NAME OF MALL:

NAME OF MALL:

Ado Bayero Mall

Apapa Mall

LOCATION: Kano, Kano state

LOCATION: 13, Park lane, Apapa Lagos

YEAR OPENED: 2014

YEAR OPENED: 2014



MAJOR STORES: Shoprite, Levi’s, Nike.

MAJOR STORES: Shoprite, The Filmhouse, Ruff n Tumble.

MANAGEMENT: Beverly Development and Realties Limited (BDRL)

MANAGEMENT: Top Service Limited.

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A-Z of Shopping Mall in Nigeria

c

NAME OF MALL:

NAME OF MALL:

Ceddi Plaza

Cocoa Mall

LOCATION: 264, Tafawa Balewa way, phase 1901002, Abuja

LOCATION: Liebu Bypass, Dugbe, Ibadan

YEAR OPENED: 2004 NUMBER OF STORES: 41 Stores MAJOR STORES: Spar, Ruff n Tumble, Pierre Cardin.

YEAR OPENED: 2013 NUMBER OF STORES: 20 Stores MAJOR STORES: Shoprite, Pep, Essenza MANAGEMENT: Top Service Limited

MANAGEMENT: Cluttons International

NAME OF MALL:

Circle Mall LOCATION: Jakande Round about, new Lekki Tollgate road, Lagos YEAR OPENED: 2015 NUMBER OF STORES: 32 stores MAJOR STORES: Shoprite, Sketchers, HealthPlus. MANAGEMENT: Broll Contd. on next page.


d

NAME OF MALL:

NAME OF MALL:

Delta City Mall

Festival Mall

LOCATION: Effurun Warri, Delta state

LOCATION: Golden Tulip Complex, Amuwo Odofin, Mile 2.

YEAR OPENED: 2015 NUMBER OF STORES: Over 20 stores MAJOR STORES: Shoprite, MRP, Genesis Deluxe MANAGEMENT: Resilient Africa

e


NAME OF MALL:

E-Centre LOCATION: 1-11 Commercial Avenue, Yaba, Lagos YEAR OPENED: 2008 NUMBER OF STORES: 40 Stores MAJOR STORES: Ozone Cinemas, Dominos supermarket. MANAGEMENT: Dominos Group

YEAR OPENED: 2015

i f

MAJOR STORES: Shoprite, Silverbird Cinema, Ruff n Tumble. MANAGEMENT: UPDC NAME OF MALL:

Heritage Mall LOCATION: Oba Adebimpe Road, Dugbe, Ibadan.

NAME OF MALL:

NAME OF MALL:

Ikeja City Mall

Leisure Mall

LOCATION: Alausa, Ikeja Lagos

LOCATION: Adeniran Ogunsanya street, Surulere

YEAR OPENED: 2011 NUMBER OF STORES: 100 stores


j h

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MAJOR STORES: Shoprite, Silverbird, MRP MANAGEMENT: Broll

YEAR OPENED: 2012

l

NUMBER OF STORES: 20 stores MAJOR STORES: The FilmHouse, MRP, Office Everything. MANAGEMENT: Integrated Leisure Property Ltd

m

NAME OF MALL:

Jabi Lake Mall

NAME OF MALL:

LOCATION: 1265A, Bala Sokoto Way Jabi District, Cadastral Zone B04 Abuja, FCT.

LOCATION: Maryland, Lagos

Maryland Mall

YEAR OPENED: 2016

YEAR OPENED: 2013

YEAR OPENED: 2015

NUMBER OF STORES: Over 30 stores


MAJOR STORES: Film House, Cash nCarry, LifeMate.

MAJOR STORES: Shoprite,Silverbird Cinemas, Game

MAJOR STORES: Shoprite, Genesis Deluxe, Twice as Nice.

MANAGEMENT: Cluttons Nigera

MANAGEMENT: Broll

MANAGEMENT: Miles and Hectares & JHI


Contd. on next page.


n


NAME OF MALL:

NAME OF MALL:

Novare Apo Mall

Onitsha Mall

LOCATION: Along Murtala Mohammed Express Way Gudu District Apo, Abuja

LOCATION: GRA Phase 1, Onitsha

YEAR OPENED: 2012 NUMBER OF STORES: 33 stores MAJOR STORES: Shoprite, MRP, Levi’s MANAGEMENT: Novare Real Estate

YEAR OPENED: 2016

o p

NUMBER OF STORES: Over 50 stores MAJOR STORES: Shoprite MANAGEMENT: Broll

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NAME OF MALL:

NAME OF MALL:

Palms Mall Ibadan

Palms Mall, Lekki

LOCATION: Corner of Liberty stadium Road &Express Road, Ibadan, Oyo State

LOCATION: 1, BIS Way, Lekki, Lagos

YEAR OPENED: 2014 NUMBER OF STORES: 31 stores MAJOR STORES: Shoprite, Inglot, Levi’s. MANAGEMENT: Persianas Group

YEAR OPENED: 2006 NUMBER OF STORES: 70 stores MAJOR STORES: Shoprite, Game, MAC. MANAGEMENT: Persianas Group

NAME OF MALL:

NAME OF MALL:

NAME OF MALL:

Novare Lekki Mall

Palms Mall Ilorin

Polo Park Mall

LOCATION: Plot 1, Fate Road, G.R.A, Ilorin South Local Government Area, Ilorin, Kwara State.

LOCATION: Okpara Avenue GRA Enugu.

LOCATION: Cnr of Lekki-Epe Expressway and Monastery Road Sangotedo Lekki Lagos YEAR OPENED: 2016 NUMBER OF STORES: 51 stores MAJOR STORES: Shoprite, RuffnTumble, Pep. MANAGEMENT: Novare Real Estate

NAME OF MALL:

Owerri Mall LOCATION: 3 Egbu Rd, New Market Layout, Owerri YEAR OPENED: 2016 NUMBER OF STORES: Over 30 stores MAJOR STORES: Shoprite, Genesis Deluxe Cinema MANAGEMENT: Resilient Africa

YEAR OPENED: 2013 NUMBER OF STORES: 24 stores MAJOR STORES: Shoprite, MAX, Viva Cinemas. MANAGEMENT: Persianas Group

YEAR OPENED: 2011 NUMBER OF STORES: 52 stores MAJOR STORES: Shoprite, MAC, Genesis Deluxe Cinema MANAGEMENT: Persianas Group

Contd. on next page.


p s


NAME OF MALL:

NAME OF MALL:

Port Harcourt Mall

Silverbird Galleria

LOCATION: 1/2, Azikwe road, Near Government House Port Harcourt

LOCATION: 133, Ahmadu Bello Way, Victoria Island Lagos.

YEAR OPENED: 2014

YEAR OPENED: 2004


NUMBER OF STORES: Over 40 stores

MAJOR STORES: Spar, TheFilmhouse,Healthplus

MAJOR STORES: Silverbird Cinema

MANAGEMENT: Artee Group

MANAGEMENT: Silverbird Group

NAME OF MALL:

NAME OF MALL:

Silverbird Entertainment Centre

Tinapa Shopping Centre

LOCATION: Plot 1161, Memorial Drive, By Musa Yar’adua Center, Central Business District, Abuja.

LOCATION: Calabar

YEAR OPENED: 2009 NUMBER OF STORES: Over 40 stores MAJOR STORES: Silverbird Cinemas, Pandora

YEAR OPENED: 2007

t

NUMBER OF STORES: 54 stores MAJOR STORES: Tmart, Vlisco, MTN MANAGEMENT: Tinapa Business Resort Limited

MANAGEMENT: Silverbird Group DISCLAIMER: We hereby state that we are not holding any responsibility for the accuracy and correctness of the content provided here.


Advertising and the Nigerian Shopper -The first part of the comprehensive insight of the behavior of the Nigerian Shopper to advertisement. By Wale Adegoke The average individual living in an urban environment is constantly bombarded by commercial messages. In a 45 minute journey the average commuter in a city such as London is exposed to more than 130 adverts featuring more than 80 different products according to ID Magasin, a shopper retailer research company. From this we can try to deduce the comparative exposure of individuals in similar bustling cities around the world specifically Lagos, Nigeria. There are varieties of different formats of out of home advertising deployed in and around the sophisticated infrastructure of London. From high street billboards to bus shelters and tube escalators the choice of platforms is only outdone by the variety of advertisers with their brand messaging displayed on them. A walk down a similar high street in Lagos will also result in a media bombardment of some sort. The billboards are present

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Feature Story

and so also are the branded buses. Various posters and banners adorn shop fronts and walls struggling for the attention of passersby. Each and every message targeted at different audiences, classes, ages and genders. A huge percentage of the advertising audience will be in a position to make a purchase decision at one point or the other during the day. The particular avenue for the purchase can be one of many channels, formal and informal. These people are shoppers. Connecting with consumers and shoppers today is as hard as it has ever been for brands and advertisers. The profile of today’s consumer/shopper according to Deloitte is worth considering. 68 percent of them are brand switchers. Only 5 percent are loyal to one brand, 73 percent shop in five or more channels and only 26 percent are loyal to an average retailer.

The peculiarity of the Nigerian market is twofold. First there is the peculiarity of the consumer. The variety of ethnic groups, languages, religions and levels of educations makes for a mixed bag that cannot be easily labelled and classified using conventional means. Add to that the stratified and diverse nature of the retail environment and channels of purchase we begin to understand the challenges brands face. The Nigerian consumer has long defied market segmentation experts by breaking the myth of Social Economic Class standardization. We find many cases of the socio-economic class D (working class) strive to emulate the lifestyles of those categorized as B (middle class). Nigerians are naturally aspirational in nature, always aiming to have more, be more and do more; trying to keep up with Jones (the standard of the next perceived better off consumer).

Amidst the one million and one advertising communications they are bombarded with, the Nigerian consumer is not perturbed until the product or service meets their emotional and psychological needs in this sense. Bandwagon advertising propaganda is a method where brands use a group mentality to convince individual consumers that a product is worth purchasing. Manufacturers of alcoholic beverages, such as beer and hard liquor, will often use the bandwagon technique of associating their product with the “in” crowd. Marketing research is used to find out what kinds of groups consumers would like to be part of, and those group stereotypes are used to advertise certain products. For example, ads that show

a happy group of friends gathering in a clean night club drinking a particular brand of hard liquor is an attempt to get individual consumers to jump on the bandwagon that image presents.

which is more emotional and less logical. For example, a body spray advertisement shows people who are not using the sponsor’s spray as being unhappy and away from the group of happy fresh users. The concept still revolves The Chart 1 shows the Nigerian around using the power of peer pressure, but the emphasis is population distribution of a few recent years by socio on how bad you will feel if you allow yourself to be an outcast economic classification. by not using the product. The distribution shows In the next edition we will consistently that the lower/ continue our analysis by lower middle class make up looking more deeply at the over 60% of the nation’s nature of the Nigerian retail population. This explains why a lot of brands make conscious environment and distribution channels. ¶ decisions and plans to target this group by creating offerings and value propositions to fit into their little disposable income. Some brands indirectly target the same group by appealing to the aspirational aspect 2012(%)

2013(%)

2014(%)

40

30

20

10

0

Upper Class

Lower Class

Upper Class

Lower Class

Upper Class

Chart 1- Social Economic Class in Nigeria

Lower Class


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Feature Story

More visitors, Less shoppers -Nigeria’s Retail industry in a time of Recession identified as a considerable sticking point for most. As the credibility and success of online payment and supply logistics become more robust we can assume that the number of transactions will continue to increase. These factors gave the retail industry a huge shot in the arm leading up to the presidential elections of 2015. This coincided with the rebasing of the Nigerian economy that cast it as the largest in Africa showing fantastic growth potential. The Nigerian retail industry be it e-commerce or brick and mortar was the darling of both local and international investors. Fast forward a couple of years and the Nigerian economy is grappling with recession. Multiple factors combined to create a cocktail that has reduced the disposable income of the average Nigerian considerably.

I

t’s no longer news that the Nigerian retail industry has grown greatly aided by the emergence of shopping malls which redefined the shopping experience, increased convenience and gave customers more choices.

malls. At the time of writing, there are almost 20 similar shopping malls in Nigeria with Shoprite as their anchor tenant. According to leadership magazine, investments in shopping malls is now worth over N1.5 Trillion.

In 2005, The Palms Shopping Mall Lekki, opened up for business, and changed the retail game in Nigeria with the entrance into the market of Shoprite and Game superstores as mall anchor tenants. The novelty factor coupled with the growing middle class ensured that it was a resounding success. This showed that there was a market for such serviced retail space and led to further investment and opening of new

The retail experience in Nigeria evolved again with the emergence of E- Commerce. Jumia and Konga pioneered the space relatively successfully recording very high numbers of transactions annually. The pay on delivery option proved to be a good icebreaker for the uninitiated consumer trying out e-commerce as the risk of making payment without any assurance of receiving merchandise was

The National economy shrank and ceded the title of Africa’s largest and there was a forex crisis that made it difficult for foreign investors to repatriate their earnings and scared away those that weren’t in the market.Retailers and retail property owners felt the full force of this turnaround. The pressure from un-favorable economic conditions can be seen at recently opened malls all over the country. Tenants have seen reduction in sales and landlords are increasingly seeing once occupied shops becoming vacant and going long periods without finding replacement tenants. Considering to the significant increase in supply of let-able retail space over the past 5 years and the shallow tenant pool across the market, it’s logical to assume

By Mojisola Fagade

that there will be less of such developments coming up in the next couple of years except a few which have been in the pipelines and are already in the process of delivery. On the part of retailers access to forex on the interbank market and the continuous depreciation of the naira on the parallel market, has led to higher cost to looking to fit out their stores, restock and carry out other operations, according to Broll’s Q3 2016 Market report. In the face of these challenges faced by managements and retailers at shopping malls, it will be interesting to see if average mall traffic has dipped or held strong. My guess is that the figures will remain resilient as shopping malls have gone beyond an avenue for just meeting purchase needs. They have become land marks, meeting points and community centers providing a warm, inviting and fun-filled environment. A look at some of the traffic figures we got from Malls shows that there have been no significant drops in mall visitors over the last two years with some malls even recording increased footfall. Encouraging as it may be it is not in itself enough to sustain the industry. The More visitors but Less Shoppers phenomenon can only be remedied over time with the increase in the disposable income of the average Nigerian. The government must make sure that their policies encourage stability and the resilient spirit of Nigerians will do the rest. ¶


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RETAIL WORLD Brent Cross Shopping Mall Pioneers Visual Search App Tool

H

ammerson and Standard Life Investments owners of Brent Cross Shopping Centre UK, announces that it has successfully completed a beta trial of its new visual search app tool, ‘FindSimilar’, at Brent Cross Shopping Centre, with AI-based technology solutions provider, Cortexica FindSimilar lets users take pictures of fashion items, or upload images already saved on their phones, to find exact or similar products stocked in stores across the centre.

In terms of brand engagement, 94 per cent agreed that the app would encourage them to visit different or more stores.

Once the user has selected their chosen product, the app then provides a map which guides the customer directly to the store. Hammerson says feedback has been positive, with 90 per cent of those that tried the app stating that they found it useful and 92 per cent saying that they would use it again.

“Our own research shows that on an average shopping journey customers use a combination of offline and online shopping channels, and initiatives such as FindSimilar are designed to further blur the lines between the two, providing a convenient and engaging shopping experience.” ¶

David Atkins, Chief Executive of Hammerson, said, “The success of the FindSimilar trial at Brent Cross demonstrates Hammerson’s leadership in retail innovation. Incorporating digital technology into our shopping centres is a key part of our brand experience strategy and this is a great example of our approach in action.

News, remarks and showcase of some of the best innovations and happenings at Malls Worldwide.

10 U.S. upscale centers form luxury marketing league to draw international tourist

T

en of America’s leading luxury shopping centers, located in nine of the top United States’ travel destinations and owned by five different shopping center development and management companies, have formed a marketing consortium to help draw international tourists. Known as The USA Luxury Shopping Consortium, the 10 centers are partnering with luxury travel agency Virtuoso.

Virtuoso is a by-invitation-only organization that comprises of over 740 travel agency locations,with more than 11,400 elite travel advisors in over 40 countries throughout North America, Latin America, the Caribbean, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Africa and the Middle East. Virtuoso travel advisors serve the most affluent, well-traveled individuals in the world and represent the top 1 percent of travel agencies measured by service, offerings, reputation, luxury and sales. Through this partnership, the USA Luxury Shopping Consortium will be marketed via print and digital channels to Virtuoso travel advisors and their clients. In addition, the Consortium will present advisor training webinars on the importance of including luxury shopping and sought-after culinary experiences in their clients’ travel itineraries. The USA Luxury Shopping Consortium members include: Tysons Corner Center, in Washington, D.C.; The Shops Buckhead, Atlanta; River Oaks District, Houston; Scottsdale Arizona Fashion Square; Fashion Show, Las Vegas; Grand Canal Shoppes, Las Vegas; Fashion Island, Newport Beach, California; Santa Monica Place, California; The Shops at the Bravern, Seattle; and AlaMoana Center, in Honolulu. ¶

Credit : /www.across-magazine.com/hammerson-pioneers-new-technology-successful-app-trialcortexica/

Credit:http://www.icsc.org/sct/newswire/10-u.s.-upscale-centers-form-luxury-marketing-league-todraw-international