Recalibrating the Shopping Mall – Mpls.St.Paul Magazine

As malls wrestle with the aftermath of the pandemic, many are rejiggering their plans and expanding their thinking to find ways to keep themselves relevant and become hubs where we live, work, play, and eat. So, what’s on the horizon?

Over at Edina’s luxe haunt Galleria, marketing director Rachel Oelke reports that enthusiasm for in-center shopping and dining is back in a big way. Traffic is up from last year, and its retailers and restaurants are feeling that in their sales. The center is also seeing momentum on the leasing side, despite a lingering need for retail staffing.

While experiential retail is by no means novel, it seems it’s as relevant as ever. Oelke’s team is continuously dreaming up unique experiences to connect with local Galleria-goers—from enneagram window displays to photo-worthy installations like its annual floral experience with Bachman’s (which saw record-breaking traffic this year) to this summer’s initiative: Camp Galleria, a twist on the traditional summer camp featuring a series of DIY projects paired with camp-themed giveaways. “People’s desire for community and connection is stronger than ever right now,” says Oelke, who encourages tenants and partners to think creatively and display their brands in engaging ways for guests to take part in photo opportunities to capture a moment and share with others.

While our grande dame of mega malls—Mall of America—also continues slinging leases and bringing concepts (both local and national) to its diverse mix of tenants, SVP of business development and marketing Jill Renslow notes that keeping its marketing strategy multidisciplinary is key, especially when it comes to the economy and how people are prioritizing things differently. Renslow and team have a packed events calendar filled with family-friendly fun and out-of-the-box experiences that don’t come at a cost. Take the mall’s new official tour program, for instance, which gives guests a special look behind the scenes of our nation’s largest mall.

“Those experiences for any age or budget—that’s what’s important,” says Renslow. “We’re making sure we’re sensitive to what’s happening in the world around us and trying to be thoughtful of how we can help package those things up so that there are exciting things you can do that aren’t going to break your budget.”

Of course, MOA’s been putting events at the heart of its strategy for decades—but there’s no better time to double down on experiences than the year of its 30th birthday. To coincide with the milestone, Renslow and team created a robust lineup of happenings—artist collaborations, giveaways, fashion displays, dance nights, and initiatives with local nonprofits—to count down to its big day (August 11). Plus, look for a large-scale science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) event, a mall-wide, weeklong experience aiming to inspire youth by showcasing a variety of careers in action. “Every inch of the building is going to be activated in a way it hasn’t before,” says Renslow, who started planning the initiative pre-pandemic. “It’s very much a way for us to look forward and invest in our youth with the hope of inspiring young minds as they look to develop their career potentials with engaging components.”

When it comes to pushing traditional mall limits, Rosedale Center has emphasized a broader sense of community since the hyper-regional marketing team redefined its playbook starting in 2019. The center’s new marketing director, Molly King, is continuing the momentum of successful efforts and making new waves adding to the progressive and diverse experiences and campaigns—such as its always-sold-out “Shop Till You Drag: A Mall Drag Show,” a fashion event offering the opportunity to purchase meet-and-greet tickets with local queens and photo opportunities after the show. Most recently, the center catered to its tech-savvy audience and introduced its first  “TikTalk,”  where local influencers Sarah Edwards and Myka Dixon shared tips and tricks for amplifying brand presence on TikTok.

Rosedale Center has made diversity and inclusion top priorities, highlighting the community in ways not prominently seen before locally. Last year, the center’s social media strategy reflected the real audiences the center serves by showcasing photos of Muslim, Black, Asian, plus-size, transgender, older, and disabled models. The progressive step outside the status quo bodes well, as stores reported skyrocketing sales numbers with an influx of diverse shoppers.

It’s clear the future of shopping centers will continue to be about more than just shopping as experiences, community, and services will drive innovation and lure in the audiences they serve, including their mall walkers. Galleria, for example, will be offering custom Jeremy Scott–brand gold-and-black strollers for parents with mini shopping buddies. “We’re excited to bring back a lot of the white-glove conveniences that we weren’t able to offer in the last few years,” says Galleria’s Oelke.